Copy Right - Superflex

Superflex

Superflex is a Danish contemporary art-collective created in 1993 in Copenhagen. They invite people to participate, join and improve their projects and alter the forms. They mostly use the topic of copyright and intellectual ownership. Superflex is searching for new economic structures and new balance.

Because of their social activism projects they have been the topic of legal disputes and police raids relating to the topic of copyright.

Copy Right

For example their project ‘Copy Right’. The project is built around the Ant chair. A famous designer chair made by Arne Jacobsen, a respectable Danish architect. This chair is copyrighted and can't be fabricated by others. But because of it’s popularity, there are a lot of fakes on the market. But because the design is compromised and deformed, the copyright laws can’t be applied.

Superflex was very interested in this loophole. They bought 80 of these fake ‘Ant-chairs’ and cut them back to the original design. This way the copyright law is applied again, BUT because they left all the shavings and excess it’s still considered as a whole, so the laws can’t be applied. This way they want to open the discussion about copy right and intellectual ownership.

further

The last 10 to 20 years has seen an exponential rise in the extent of intellectual property. This is due to the economy of globalization and to the spread of information technology. By projects like these Superflex challenges the economic system and develop tools to be used in constructive transformations. They work from their own artistic vision but allow participants to alter and discuss their work. Everyone can influence their work.

More projects by Superflex involving Copyright are ‘Free Beer’, ‘The Copyshop’ and ‘Biogas PH5 lamp’.