Yun Tian

Department: Information Design

Delftware Talking

The renowned Dutch Delftware originally started as an imitation
of Chinese porcelain in the 17th century. Trying to match the
original decorations, Delft potteries produced exact copies,
but also Chinoiserie objects, with a creative mixture of styles
from East and West. Forms and decorations developed into
a distinctive Dutch style, acquiring fame around the world.
These days Dutch Delftware is copied in China – the country
is currently considered to be the global champion of copy-cat
manufacturing. What would the original Delftware craftsmen
think of today’s fakes? Investigating the relationship between
original and copy, Yun Tian has staged a conversation between
three animated plates: one from China, the second from Delft
and the third a 3D-printed plastic plate. The animation projected
on each tells the story of how knockoffs can stimulate creation
and end up being ‘original’.