Ondrej Brody (CZ) & Kristofer Paetau’s (FIN) recent work: ‘Painting China Now’ (2007), is a collection of 30 oil paintings depicting instances of violence inflicted by the Chinese government upon their own citizens (Falun Dafa members). They were rendered with impeccable realism by Chinese craftsmen specialized in copying any picture you send them via e-mail. The series, censored and forbidden images at home, were executed in China and then exported to Europe for display.

In their new work: ‘Wang Bin Torture in Commercial Quality, High Quality and Museum Quality,’ the artists chose an extremely explicit photograph focusing on the massacred torso of a torture victim. Although the original photograph is unsharp, there is no doubt about what it is depicting. Using the Chinese painting companies’ own product quality grade system, Brody & Paetau commisioned the image to be painted in all three grades: Commercial Quality, High Quality and Museum Quality.

What at the first glance appears as cynical artistic exploitation can also be seen as a shock of realities revealed through a conceptual artistic process. On one hand, there is an oppressive political power exercising torture and censorship upon their citizens, on the other, western entities eager to profit from the cheap production forces and ruthless commercialism China offers.