Beatriz Colomina - Inflection 06 - Originals

Hans Gerber, The Little Mermaid Statue, 1958, Langelinie, Copenhagen. Image courtesy of ETH-Bibliothek Zürich.

Hans Gerber, The Little Mermaid Statue, 1958, Langelinie, Copenhagen. Image courtesy of ETH-Bibliothek Zürich.

Baudrillard and Eco describe the loss of distinction between the original and the copy, resulting in equal representations in terms of reality. In hyperreality, the ability to reproduce the original an indefinite number of times becomes possible. 6 This results in a copy of a copy, or an image of an image. As will be elaborated below, the interpretation of hyperreality by Baudrillard and Eco decimates the intangible distance between spectator and the object, as the original and the copy become interchangeable.

Originals in China, Replicas in Copenhagen:

The Little Mermaid Statue

“Don’t you think China already has its share of copies?” 7 These words belong to architect Bjarke Ingels, who proposed exhibiting the original Little Mermaid statue at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Visitors would view “not a copy, but the real thing.” 8 Walking around the European area of the site, visitors observed the Danish Pavilion with its white-painted fluid form, which curved around and crossed itself. Designed in collaboration with the engineering office Arup and the interior and exhibition design agency 2+1, the pavilion rose 12 meters and allowed people to walk through and over. Its double loop form dictated a continuous linear ramp that oriented visitors, both pedestrians and bikers, from the entrance to the roof terrace, where they could have a full view of the World Expo site. A courtyard pool was constructed at the centre of the ground level as a representation of a traditional Copenhagen harbour bath. Central to this pool, the Little Mermaid statue was located as an attraction point.

The Little Mermaid Statue at the courtyard pool of the Danish Pavilion, World Expo 2010 Shanghai. All following images courtesy of author.

Resonating in media and discussed by the government and public, BIG’s proposal to ship the statue to be temporarily displayed in Shanghai caused a huge controversy. 9 For the first time in its history, the Little Mermaid Statue would leave its home. While the statue was away in China, a copy cast by Eriksen was placed in Copenhagen, culminating in discussions of the uniqueness of the original statue at Langelinie. 10 Eco argues that the attribution of fake is perplexing within the context of sculpture, be it a plaster cast or a bronze recasting, if specific technical modes of production are employed. 11

There would be no physical distinction between the original cast and the recasting. However, Benjamin believes that the authentic qualities of an original artwork are attributed to its aura and its specific presence in time, evoked by the marks of aging and weathering. Therefore, the technique of reproduction cannot define an original or a copy, as a traditional work of art is singular and therefore, cannot be mechanically reproduced. 12 Although reproduced from the original mould, the copy of the Little Mermaid statue did not testify to history. It was not exposed to vandalism or the close attention of the original. The appearance and the material of the original at Langelinie were merely replicated.

As a mobile work of art like a painting or photograph, the statue managed to captivate spectators in Shanghai. However, its new context of a simulated harbour in a sterile, white container, triggered a shift in its aura and atmosphere. At Langelinie, the statue is a public artwork for the gaze of the masses, however, as a national symbol, or inanimate celebrity figure, the statue has not acquired exhibition value. Masses consume the statue over a short period, as a spectacle without concentration or contemplation, be it in Copenhagen or Shanghai. In our image-laden culture, its celebrity character is reproduced to create spectacle, fame, and desire. The original aura of the statue is lost.

Bicycle lane and parking at the roof terrace of the Danish Pavilion, World Expo 2010, Shanghai.

Fountain simulating a playground at the roof terrace of the Danish Pavilion, World Expo 2010, Shanghai.

An Ordinary Day in Denmark as Hyperreality

Publicised with the phrase, “Try out how life is lived in Denmark” in an early poster, the Danish Pavilion sought to present a compact version of a sustainable Danish city. 13 Ingels claimed that expo pavilions traditionally introduce and display countries and their culture via superficial images and words. In response, the architects of the Danish Pavilion in Shanghai would “deliver the real deal.” 14 BIG not only transported the Little Mermaid statue but also shipped one million litres of water from Copenhagen Harbour to the courtyard pool in Shanghai, allowing visitors to experience the sensation of swimming in the clean harbour water of Copenhagen.

The roof terrace supported various activities, including bicycle parking, family picnics, playing in sprinkling water from the fountain, enjoying the roof bar and relaxing on a bench, simulating Danish recreational areas on a sunny day. Following the looping ramp, which simulated the blue bicycle lanes on the streets of Copenhagen, visitors could ride a bike.

Beyond viewing the exhibitions as mere spectacle, Ingels expected people to picture imaginary situations in their minds to trigger excitement and amusement during the activity: “Visitors could feel the thrill of riding a bike through the city rather than sitting in a traffic jam, or looking endlessly for a parking spot.” 15 Recalling Baudrillard, the pavilion emerges as a fusion of simulation, imagination, and reality, created by original objects transported abroad for its visitors to experience an ordinary day in Denmark.

Mediated by the third order of simulacra, the Danish Pavilion publicised itself as a hyperreal Denmark experience. The visitors in Shanghai might never have been to Denmark, but through the amusements that were replicated in the pavilion, they had an opportunity to simulate the sustainable Copenhagen lifestyle. However, some of the activities were not suitable to be directly copied from Denmark to China. For example, the difference between the Chinese and Danish bicycle mechanisms caused complications and accidents on bicycle lanes, which resulted in the temporary closure of the biking activity. Moreover, due to concerns surrounding the swimming ability of potential visitors, the simulation of swimming in the harbour water was cancelled before the Expo opened. 16 These complications caused a clash in the simulacra and affected the hyperreal experience of Danish life, rendering visitors as spectators rather than participants.

Copies as ‘Better’ Objects Than Originals

Superkilen Urban Park in Copenhagen is another copy and paste manoeuvre BIG in collaboration with landscape architecture office Topotek1 and artist group Superflex. Constructed in 2012 in a derelict area, the park occupies an area of three hectares with a length of 750 metres. 17 It is situated in the dense residential neighbourhood of Norrebro, an ethnically diverse district of Copenhagen with more than 60 nationalities. 18 The park was split into three zones, each with a different colour, acknowledging the coexisting multicultural society. The Red Square, which is most suitable for sports and cultural activities, is overwhelmingly covered in red and pink shades. Undulating white stripes on the black asphalt ground of The Black Market, the middle section of which is designed for social activities and plays. The most extensive section, The Green Park, is organised to accommodate sport and picnics.