Berlin’s HKW announces 100 Years of Copyright festival

A series of talks, performances, films and installations will explore the contested role of copyright in today’s cultural landscape

Berlin institution Haus der Kulturen der Welt have unveiled the programme for 100 Years of Copyright, a festival scrutinising the history of copyright and its current role within the digital economy.

Taking place from 18 October through 21 October, a series of talks, concerts, films and installations are all planned around the subject which feels all the more contested in digital age. Themes such authorship, ethics of copying in music and (post) colonial implications and questions asked about applicability, originality and the impact on cultural production when copyright and artistic freedom are played off against each other.

Among the musical acts set to play are Copenhagen’s Den Sorte Skole, whose “sample symphonies” created from other people’s music confront and evade the practical application of copyright. Similarly, both Brazillian group Gang do Eletro and London multimedia artist People Like Us assemble rich sound collages, while Ekki Maas’s General Salty and His Original Rubber Band tease at the very limits of imitation and emulation. Dub techno pioneer Mark Ernestus will be teaming up with collaborator Tikiman for a DJ set on the Friday night.

Films set to be screened include Copyright Criminals by Benjamin Franzen, Rain in the Color of Blue With a Little Red in it by Christopher Kirkley and The Lion’s Trail by Francois Verster.

To see the full programme and buy tickets head to the HKW website.