Un faible degré d’originalité (suffit à conférer une protection)

‘Un Faible Degré d’Originalité’ is a conversation in progress on the thorny subject of intellectual property in the field of artistic creativity. Recorded at the CND 10 November 2011

An unprecedented, funny (without doubt) and unusual (for sure) performance around questions of copyright and intellectual property. A rambling (maybe) yet convivial (definitely) “chat”.

Antoine Defoort knows how to reinvent the art of performance in an incredibly uninhibited way. Trained as a mathematician, this voluble and crazy plastic artist and inventor sabotages the notion of contemporary art through highly-coloured and unclassifiable shows where the public never knows quite what to expect.

“This is the first phase of a project that may end up being called QSDFJKLMG (it will be a random title, which has to comprise between 7 and 12 capital-lettered consonants and has to begin with QSDF, which could give us, for example QSDFLMPRTP or QSDFLKH), but which for the time being and for reasons of convenience is called as mentioned above.

By drawing up an inventory of intellectual property and of its history and by shilly-shallying on its societal implications and challenges, this “chat” applies rigour and documentation, yet most likely tempered by a level of discourse that comes close to that of 4 o’clock tea on a Sunday afternoon with friends.

As usual, the formal aspects of the operation risk being subjected to special treatment; this proposal will (maybe) more likely conjure up a playback of poetry reading rather than a lesson in law.

Antoine Defoort

Further information

Antoine Defoort website

Updating: January 2012