An exhibit traveling around China is facing legal action by the artists the exhibit claims to be showcasing. According to Nikken Asian Review, a Chinese company has been putting on pop-ups since April that have been displaying forged works meant to be by contemporary Japanese artists Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami. A recent iteration in Shanghai that began in mid-September has already been shut down after Kusama and her representatives were made aware of the fake works.

Neither Kusama, who is known for her playful installations, nor Murakami, whose work blends Japanese traditional and pop culture, are claiming any involvement with the various exhibitions. Kusama’s lawyer, Yoshifumi Onodera has said they are looking into taking legal action against the organizers who have not yet been identified. Murakami’s attorney, Hiroshi Kamiyama, echoed this sentiment, telling reporters at the Asian Review that they are considering a similar response.

As China's art market has grown into an 8.9 billion-dollar industry, forgeries and replicas have flooded the market both through high-end auctions and the exportation of cheap knockoffs. With installations and large-scale works such as Kusama's increasingly grabbing media attention, they have become subject to this scandal as well. Though copycats have become quite common, the scale and size of this particular scam is still unique.