In 2017 Antonio curated the No Copyright Infringement Intended exhibition. The exhibition, which took place at two UK galleries across 2017, featured work by 10 artists and explored how popular culture and creative processes conflict with outdated copyright laws.
In this presentation he will discuss the impact that the exhibition had on the artistic community and give reflections about using copyright as a core theme in the production of art work.
No Copyright Infringement Intended is a group exhibition, curated by Antonio Roberts, exploring the relationship between copyright and culture in the digital age, investigating how the concept of ownership and authorship is evolving and coming into conflict with outdated copyright and intellectual property laws.
Since the 1990s the internet has provided the opportunity for mass copying, redistribution and remixing of content – profoundly changing the way culture is produced and shared and sparking legal battles and debates that still rage on. Today, the increasing availability of technologies like 3D scanning and 3D printing have extended the ability to digitally copy and reproduce to the physical realm.
For many people now, mass sharing, copying and remixing seems like a natural form of self expression. Rather than embracing this change and using it to their advantage, rights holders and lawyers often resort to reinforcing outdated laws – penalising those who copy – and placing barriers on technology’s ability to share information and content freely.
Meanwhile, among artists there is widespread misunderstanding of copyright and how it affects their work. The phrase “No Copyright Infringement Intended” is often used as an attempt to avoid repercussions of copyright infringement. The phrase has no legal standing, but its widespread usage shows a lack of awareness of existing laws and the consequences of breaking them.
Featuring 10 national and international artists working across a range of creative practices, the exhibition highlights the ongoing tension between production and copyright, considers the new artistic, social and political possibilities created through this tension and suggests new ways forward for artists, rights holders and the wider creative community.
The exhibition includes work by Nick Briz, Emilie Gervais, Nicolas Maigret, Christopher Meerdo, Jan Nikolai Nelles & Nora Al-Badri, Duncan Poulton, Fernando Sosa, Andrea Wallace & Ronan Deazley
Curated by Antonio Roberts for Phoenix Leicester and Vivid Projects. Supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
Alongside our exhibition No Copyright Infringement Intended, this discussion will highlight the disruptive power of technological innovation on culture and copyright.
Using the works within the exhibition as a starting point, a panel featuring artists and copyright experts will discuss how emerging technologies are shaping creative processes, how (perceptions of) copyright enable and inhibit those technologically-enabled processes and the appropriateness of appropriation.
This event is free. Booking will be open soon.
As part of No Copyright Infringement Intended Antonio Roberts will be leading a part presentation, part practical workshop that will consider the history of the modern meme and how it sits contrary to outdated copyright laws which prevent using existing copyrighted imagery in new creative works.
Inspired by Christopher Meerdo’s 2016 project ♡°☆(ಠೆಒಠಿ)☆°♡ (for Luc Tuymans) participants are invited to create memes using Katrijn Van Giels photograph of Jean-Marie Dedecker as source material. The photograph itself was the subject of a plagiarism case against Antwerp-born painter Luc Tuymans, who used it as source material for his painting A Belgian Politician.
The results will be added to http://katrijnvangiel.tumblr.com/ with a credit to you, and exhibited at No Copyright Infringement Intended which runs 1st – 23rd September at Vivid Projects, Birmingham.
This workshop is free. Places can be reserved here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/memes-for-luc-tuymans-tickets-36686531403
Participants will need to bring a computer with image editing software installed. We can advise on free alternatives should none be installed.
Copyright as Frame as Prison, taking part as part of No Copyright Infringement Intended, will be a conversation around the disruptive power of technological innovation on ideas around copyright.
Featuring a panel including Jan Nikolai-Nelles and Nora Al-Badri, the artists behind The Other Nefertiti artwork, Lisa Beauchamp, Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art at Birmingham Museums Trust, and more TBC.
Using the works within the exhibition as a starting point, a panel featuring participating artists and experts in copyright will discuss how emerging technologies are shaping creative processes, how (perceptions of) copyright enable/inhibit those technologically-enabled creative processes, the appropriateness of appropriation and its effect on creative practices.
This event is free. Tickets can be reserved here: https://
Please note that the event will be filmed and photographed.
Join No Copyright Infringement Intended curator Antonio Roberts for a guided tour of the exhibition, followed by a chance to ask questions about the show. The tour will be preceded by a short presentation called Ctrl + C, looking at the one-way system of cultural appropriation by corporations.
The tour is free to attend. No booking necessary.
No Copyright Infringement Intended is a group exhibition exploring the relationship between copyright and culture in the digital age, investigating how the concept of ownership and authorship is evolving and coming into conflict with outdated copyright and intellectual property laws.
Since the 1990s the internet has provided the opportunity for mass copying, redistribution and remixing of content – profoundly changing the way culture is produced and shared and sparking legal battles and debates that still rage on. Today, the increasing availability of technologies like 3D scanning and 3D printing have extended the ability to digitally copy and reproduce to the physical realm.
For many people now, mass sharing, copying and remixing seems like a natural form of self expression. Rather than embracing this change and using it to their advantage, rights holders and lawyers often resort to reinforcing outdated laws – penalising those who copy – and placing barriers on technology’s ability to share information and content freely.
Meanwhile, among artists there is widespread misunderstanding of copyright and how it affects their work. The phrase “No Copyright Infringement Intended” is often used as an attempt to avoid repercussions of copyright infringement. The phrase has no legal standing, but its widespread usage shows a lack of awareness of existing laws and the consequences of breaking them.
Featuring 10 national and international artists working across a range of creative practices, the exhibition highlights the ongoing tension between production and copyright, considers the new artistic, social and political possibilities created through this tension and suggests new ways forward for artists, rights holders and the wider creative community.
The exhibition includes work by Nick Briz, Emilie Gervais, Nicolas Maigret, Christopher Meerdo, Jan Nikolai Nelles & Nora Al-Badri, Duncan Poulton, Fernando Sosa, Andrea Wallace & Ronan Deazley
Curated by Antonio Roberts, a new media artist and curator based in Birmingham. Kindly supported by Arts Council England
Join No Copyright Infringement Intended curator Antonio Roberts for a guided tour of the exhibition, followed by a chance to ask questions about the exhibition. The tour will be preceded by a Pecha-Kucha-style presentation called Ctrl + C that looks at the the one-way system of cultural appropriation by corporations.
The tours are free and will be taking place at 13:00 – 14:00 and again at 17:00 – 18:00. Tickets can be booked here: https://
The primary goal of CopyCamp 2017 is to broaden the scope of the debate about exclusive rights. We want to talk about culture, science, and education, but we also want to discuss how exclusive rights are used in, for example, health and food. We will listen to stories touching on real-life issues in the following thematic tracks:
As always, we will be pleased to host all interested parties in a neutral and friendly space, and encourage participants to share thoughts and exchange ideas.