Life of Imitation
- Artist: Ming Wong
- Date: 2009
- Medium: Video, 2 projections, colour and sound (stereo)
- Dimensions: duration: 12min, 53sec
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is “Life of Imitation” by Ming Wong, a 2009 multimedia piece that blends two video projections with four hand‑painted billboard posters. The video runs just under thirteen minutes and recreates key scenes from the 1959 Hollywood melodrama *Imitation of Life*. Wong casts four male actors from Singapore’s Chinese, Malay and Indian communities, turning the original female roles into a playful, sometimes absurd commentary on race, class and identity. The side‑by‑side projections mirror the film’s own use of reflection, inviting viewers to question self‑image and the performance of gender. The accompanying posters echo an analogue era, hand‑drawn illustration style, and feature images of the actors alongside memorable quotes from the original movie. Together, the projections and posters create a mock “film set” that blurs the line between production and audience, offering a fresh take on a classic narrative while probing the politics of imitation and identity.
See it in person
Life of Imitation is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
