Artist derives authenticity and beauty from fakes

The project is about the authenticity of the fake, about why fake brands and the brands can’t be on the same level, Galaxia explained during an interview with China Daily Website.

The idea for the project came to Galaxia during his travel back to Spain from Germany in 2013. Back then, Spain was suffering a severe financial crisis caused by a burst housing bubble.

Many local businesses went bankrupt. However, Chinese immigrants managed to survive and eventually thrived in the tough economy, taking over bars, supermarkets, and grocery stores from local owners.

“They took a bar and gave it a new name. Today, many supermarkets in Spain are run by Chinese people,” said the artist.

These renamed Chinese-run stores offered cut-rate prices for almost everything from beer to shampoo. Clothes of counterfeit brands like Dulce Camino and Galvin Klain sold like hotcakes with low prices, said Galaxia, adding “it’s fun and exciting to see how they interpreted the real brands and put their own creativity into the fakes.”

The artist also champions the practical value of fakes. “People who couldn’t afford real brands buy fakes, which are cheap but fun and of good quality,” he said.