Werkleitz Biennale on Common Property, 2004
Events
In the summer of 2004, contributing editor Jamie King took part in the Werkleitz Biennale on behalf of the magazine. The festival's format loosely followed that of a summer school, and its theme was Common Property (with the definition foregrounding a movement towards informatisation, digitisation and connectedness). Together with other writers who'd engaged critically with the IP debate (e.g. Alan Toner whose Mute article 'Dissembly Language: Unzipping the World Summit on the Information Society' has catalysed much discussion), Jamie set up a series of informal scenarios where visitors could engage with the public domain in theory and practice. Think filesharing and long conversations!
From the Werkleitz festival statement:
'Based on the current tightening of ownership structures as well as on the historical and contemporary debates surrounding the concepts of private property and collective property, the Werkleitz Biennale, along the lines of the theme 'common property', will raise questions pertaining to the common points of reference that open networks, artistic and activist strategies, as well as collective authorship possess...'
View the Werkleitz Common Property site
View the Werkleitz festival's main site, including previous events
Alan Toner's 'Dissembly Language: Unzipping the World Summit on the Information Society', Mute 27
