问题导读:山寨建筑与盗版文化

与其说我们在讨论盗版或者山寨,不如说我们在借助山寨这一讨论,重新切入其反面,那些已经浸淫在图像传播时代的建筑及其知识体系的生产。与其说我们在讨论山寨建筑的再生产,不如说我们试图揭示的是,正在对其进行限制的某些建筑批评,事实上已经被拖入到图像

SHANZHAI ARCHITECTURE AND PIRACY CULTURE

Wang Jiahao’s essay introduces the discussion of shanzhai architecture with a discussion of the difference between piracy and shanzhai or appropriation. Piracy is an illegal activity, which on Manuel Castells’ reading flourishes at the intersection of mass production and capitalism, or rather at the intersection of desire and its systemization for commercial profit. Pirates copy in order to make a profit, straightforwardly taking what belongs to someone else. In contrast, appropriation is a quasi-legal activity at the intersection of desire and other values, such as aesthetic experimentation or intellectual curiosity. Appropriators emulate in order to create something new, repurposing what belongs to someone else to other ends. Importantly, piracy and appropriation represent a continuum of vexed production values, suggesting the extent to which whether or not an object is considered a pirate or a shanzhai copy is determined through praxis, as differently positioned makers and users position themselves and their intentions within and against the mores of capitalist exchange.