14 paintings

Not so long ago in Dafen, more than 8,000 painters were hard at work reproducing — almost indistinguishably — the paintings of great European masters such as Van Gogh and Leonardo da Vinci. At its peak, the village was responsible for 75% of the world’s oil painting reproductions. But the 2008 financial crisis, along with a shift in modern decorative trends toward more minimalist styles, took a heavy toll on this industry, drastically reducing foreign demand in just a few years. In response to this decline, the Chinese government set out to revitalize Dafen by transforming the village into an incubator for original art. 14 Paintings emerges in the wake of these upheavals.

Profoundly revealing in the simplicity of its approach, Dongnan Chen’s film offers, through the observation of a handful of paintings, a brief glimpse into the complexity of contemporary Chinese society torn between tradition, modernity, and economic pressures. Using a series of fixed shots with remarkably precise framing, Chen films these original artworks in their new — and sometimes surprising — exhibition spaces, and sets them in dialogue with fragments of testimony from artists, oscillating between hope and disillusionment. The film thus opens up much broader questions related to art and creation, especially the tensions between artistic authenticity and market demands. It reminds us that art, even when “original,” is never free from compromise — especially when it enters a system governed by market logic. 14 Paintings skillfully questions what remains of artistry when creation becomes production, and what remains of humanity when the artist becomes a mere executor.

Jason Burnham
Tënk editorial manager