Copying is OK

BAM 认为，“山寨”是 OK 的。山寨只会产生两个结果，但两个结果都有可取之处。其中一种情况是，山寨品并不如原作那么好。在这种情况下，原创的作者仍然享有“最好的”产品或创意。对他们而言，“抄袭者”（copy-cats）的作品无法超越原创作品显然是一种骄傲。然而，也有山寨品超越原作这种结果产生。通过抄袭原作的一个创意或产品并改进它，使它变得更好。当这种情况发生时，山寨品的作者并不见得会受益，受益的是更广大的公众。这也是创意在艺术和技术上获得进步的途径。因此，“山寨”的两种结果本质上都是好的。

BAM believes that Copying is OK, because copying can only have two results and both results have benefits. In one scenario the copy is not as good as the original. In this case the author or creator of the original is still ‘the best’ product or idea.  There is certainly a sense of pride which comes from copy-cats not being able to best the original. However, in some cases a copy may actually surpass the original. The copy took an idea or a product, and through copying it, improved upon it, and made it better. When this occurs, the author of the copied item or idea does not benefit, but the greater public does. This is how ideas advance in both art and technology. Both outcomes of Copying are essentially good. 

▲  最近 BAM 再次被山寨，这次是“设计公司”致舍景观（Z'scape）。

Recently BAM was copied again, this time by ‘design’ firm Z’scape.

只有站在疯狂的资本主义立场上，山寨才被视为坏事儿。这个逻辑是，如果人们知道自己的想法会被窃取，他们就不会去创造或创新。但这似乎从根本上忽视了人类和动物原始竞争的本能。想一想，如果一个人先提出了一个创意，而这个人和公司要永远拥有这个创意，不仅要阻挡和隔离了前进的步伐，而且在获利的同时还要阻止他人使用同样的创意的想法是很荒谬的。

Only through the lens of deranged capitalism is copying perceived as BAD. The logic continues that, people won’t create or innovate if they know their ideas will be stolen. This seems to fundamentally ignore the human and animal impulse to compete. It seems ridiculous to think that if one to were arrive at an idea first, that said individual or company is entitled to the idea indefinitely and not only should be protected and insulated from the march of progress, but financially benefit while keeping others from trying the same idea.

于 BAM 而言，山寨只能是好的。当我们发现被山寨的时候，难免会感到一阵愤怒。但大多数情况下，我们纯粹当成一场喜剧来看。BAM 已经有一些项目被生生山寨了，在这当然是很常见的。山寨品有时候极为劣质，让人不禁质疑这是何必，因此“山寨”这个词常常带有一些诙谐的意味。BAM 第一次被山寨的作品是为太古集团在北京酒仙桥打造的一个“开创性的游乐场”。

这个项目是中国第一个“网红”游乐场，掀起了一股游乐环境的新浪潮。其山寨品几乎立刻就出现在了北京的其他地方。虽然许多细节被完美复制，然而，项目的整体比例却隐隐透出一股山寨的气息。这个畸形版本的 BAM 设计不仅让我们感到自豪，也提供了一个吐槽“What are you 弄啥嘞”的诙谐时刻。这个案例中，一个相当“无名”的当地设计院显然得到一个相当“无名”的开发商的支持，去山寨 BAM 的设计（但更小、更廉价）。

For BAM, copying can only be good. When we get copied, there is a unavoidable twinge of anger, but in most cases it is pure comedy.  BAM has had a few project copied HARD. In China this of course is common. The term Shanzhai, has a hint of comedy, in which a copy is somehow hilariously bad, that one would question why even attempt it. The first time BAM was copied was the ‘playground that started it all’ in Beijing for Swire in Jiuxianqiao.

This project was really one of the first internet-famous designed playgrounds in China, starting a new wave a play environments. Almost immediately it was copied elsewhere in Beijing. Many of the details where copied exactly, however, the overall proportions of the project seemed to allude the designers of the copy. This malformed version of BAM’s design only serves to provide us, not only with pride but a hilarious moment of WTF?! In this case a fairly ‘no-name’ local design institute obviously prompted by a fairly ‘no-name’ developer to Copy (but smaller and cheaper) BAM’s design.

Recently BAM was copied again, and yet again the miniaturization and deformation of the proportional system of BAM’s design is akin to the feeling of farting, but then realizing it was more than just air. While BAM still maintains that copying is ok, this time some of the conditions are different. The design firm which has copied BAM’s work, Z’scape, presents itself as an up and coming design firm, with clients like Aranya. Developers show no shame in attempting to copy each other’s ideas a seemingly endless competition of polite-modern, faux-minimal, one-upmanship to garner attention from the conformist trend-hunting sensibilities of a rising middle class.  In this world of constant regurgitation, it is the job of the designer to find was of taking ideas and making them anew. However not here. It is one thing for a local design institute to blatantly copy another’s design at the behest of a developer, yet, its seems to be something entirely different when a company which espouses to be a ‘design firm’ engages in such ridiculous methods. Not only was BAM’s work copied, but it also appears there is a copy of an art installation by artist Yang Tao, the original was in Beijing at the Parkview Green Fangcaodi.

▲  冷知识！

周梁俊，致舍景观的创始人。在帮助玛莎的 MSP 设计团队建立中国业务的过程中，他经常使用 BAM 的第一个四合院办公室。在日常言谈中，他经常喜欢以“在中国”作为开头，“自告奋勇”地向大家“传授”一些在中国应该如何运作的“规矩”。但通常情况是，当人们开始用“在中国”这个词时，它就成为了一个借口，借此掩盖人们不愿意创新的事实。因为创新、不山寨就意味着风险更高，工作量也更大。BAM 致力开拓一条既抵制又重新定义“在中国”的特色道路。山寨是 OK 的，我们只希望周梁俊和他的致舍景观团队以后的山寨作品能更加出色！

Fun Fact!

Zhou Liangjun, Founder of Z'Scape often utilized BAM's first office, a siheyaun in Beijing, while helping MSP to establish a presence in China. LJ often liked to start his sentences with “In China” wishing to impart unsolicited advice onto an early BAM about how things work in China. In most cases when people start a sentence with “In China” it is typically a vague justification for why something new should not be tried. Trying something new and not copying takes extra work at greater risk, but with potentially higher reward. BAM has continued to forge a unique path which both resist yet also redefines the “In China” paradigm. Copying is OK and we can only hope that LJ and the Z’Scape team have some more fantastic Copies in the works!

最近，BAM 的原创设计再一次被山寨，其整体比例系统的缩小和变形就像“噗”了一下。但我们后来还是意识到，这不仅仅是一团气体。虽然 BAM 始终认为山寨是 OK 的，但这次情况不同。致舍景观通过山寨 BAM 的作品，使自己看上去像是一个有前途的设计公司——拥有像阿那亚（Aranya）这样的客户。在一场看似永无止境的竞争中，开发商们不遗余力地试图模仿彼此的风格。为了吸引正在崛起的中产阶级追逐潮流的目光，他们竞相展现出现代文雅，伪极简和高人一等的姿态。

在这个不断反刍的世界里，设计师的工作就是寻找方法把各种创意转化成新的东西。但不应该是通过山寨。一个地方的设计院在开发商的要求下公然抄袭别人的设计是一回事；而一个自称是“设计公司”的公司却采用这种荒唐的方法，这就完全是另外一回事了。不仅 BAM 的作品被山寨了，而且这里还出现了艺术家杨韬的一个装置作品的山寨，原作就在北京芳草地。

再次被山寨，只不过让 BAM 再次重申：山寨仍然是 OK 的。通过致舍景观的项目我们可以再次看到，山寨只有两种结果——要么比原作好，那我们要恭喜致舍景观；要么如大多数情况一样，山寨远不及原作，那我们则要恭喜 BAM！

我们必须感谢致舍景观——再次向我们展示了“山寨是 OK 的！”

Being copied again, simply reaffirms us at BAM, that copying is STILL OK. As is shown by Z’scape’s project there can only be one of two results, either the copy is better than the original, in which case, congratulations are to be given to Z’scape, or the Original still reigns supreme, which is most certainly the case here, in which case… Congratulations BAM!

We must thank Z’scape for showing us yet again that “COPYING IS OK!”

点击下方图片阅读 BAM 往期精彩：

Click the following pictures to read more about BAM: