Anastasia Klose’s Art Basel Hong Kong t-shirt shop a play on brands

The One Stop Knock-Off Shop fashion art installation from Australian artist Anastasia Klose offered viewers at Art Basel Hong Kong 2014 a humorous and clever interlude to the paintings and sculptures on display.  Upon closer examination, what appeared to be an ordinary t-shirt stand was actually a commentary on the brand-driven commercialism prevalent in society today, mixed with what Klose referred to as a “joke [of sorts] for people who read a lot of stuff online about the art world.”

This is not the first time Klose – who currently is represented by the Tolarno Galleries in Melbourne, Australia – has shown the One Stop Knock-Off Shop.  She made different t-shirts and other merchandise as part of the National Gallery of Victoria’s Melbourne Now exhibition in 2013.  Her designs were so popular that she decided to bring a similar concept to Hong Kong.

Selling at HK$400 apiece, the black t-shirts lining the installation collectively featured a gold-colored “word play” of Klose’s favorite artists and famous brands.    Capitalizing on the public’s fascination and desire to be associated with a hip artist or brand, some of her best selling t-shirts included “Art Blasé” (which sold out long before the conclusion of Art Basel Hong Kong), “Jay-Z vs. Abramovic” (a reference to the modern art performance involving both figures) and “Ain’t Gagosian without Damien.”

For more of Meniscus Magazine‘s interview with the artist, please watch our YouTube video below:

interview and video by Yuan-Kwan Chan / Meniscus Magazine