Boarding pass required: ‘Children on Bicycle’ artist back in Penang with art exhibition tackling copyright exploitation
GEORGE TOWN, July 4 — You will need a boarding pass to check in before entering Ernest Zacharevic’s latest art installation opening tomorrow.
A tongue-in-cheek participatory experience for visitors, the installation titled “We need to talk” is designed to resemble an airport check-in counter.
Posters on the wall, similar to advertising boards by airlines, displayed the phrase “Justice in the Air” with details of artists’ rights to their intellectual property (IP).
The idea for the interactive art installation was sparked by Zacharevic’s “I think we need to talk” social media post directed at low-cost carrier, AirAsia, in November last year.
He had posted a picture of an AirAsia plane that displayed his Children on Bicycle artwork on the forward part of the fuselage, which he alleged was used without his consent.
The staff manning the counters and the exhibition space were dressed in cabin crew uniforms with red scarves.
There were also several aircraft marshals complete with illuminated wands.
At the check in counter, visitors are reminded to place any dangerous items in a clear box next to the entrance and those with larger bags are asked if it exceeds the 7 kilogramme limit.
Inside, a table featured merchandise from tote bags to stickers, art prints, and aircraft models, all featuring Zacharevic’s art.
There were also rows of inflight “meals”, labelled as being under the brand “satan” as part of the installation’s satirical theme.
The artist — who shot to fame after his series of murals in Penang became well-known in 2012 — said the exhibition is about creative ownership and persistent exploitation of artists’ work in commercial contexts.
“I’m using this to speak up about it, to voice myself,” he said.
He said he found that many other artists in Malaysia are facing similar IP infringement but they were unable to express themselves publicly due to the cases being in legal proceedings.
The exhibition serves as a fundraiser while also educating the public about IP rights of artists.
“There will be a series of events, there will be a talk tomorrow with artists on ownership and creative rights,” he said.
Zacharevic said his Children on Bicycle mural has appeared on everything from corporate advertising to commercial spaces without permission, proper credit, or fair compensation.
The artist said he had contacted AirAsia on the use of his artwork without consent, but according to him, this did not lead to a resolution, and he is now considering legal action against the airline.
Explaining the concept of the exhibition, Zacharevic said it is a way for visitors to be a participant instead of coming in to view art on the wall.
“We want everyone to have that little bit of inconvenience that artists go through and to have that, you know, a bit of delays and frustrations that we are experiencing, that is sort of similarly going through the airport sometimes,” he said.
Dressed as a pilot himself, he said the installation is about irony and playfully comments on his experience with AirAsia.
“We will be organising a series of events and talks including an IP clinic by lawyers on August 9 and 10 for artists so they can register on our website for it,” he said.
The exhibition includes four original paintings by Zacharevic featuring paper planes: Plein Air, Sky Hi, Hi Sky and Paper Plane.
The various merchandise packages priced from RM50 to RM5,000 form part of Zacharevic’s fundraising efforts to support potential legal proceedings against AirAsia.
The exhibition is open to the public for free from July 5 to August 31 at Cultprint, 36 Malay Street, George Town, Penang.
More information about the exhibition is available at cultprint.co or via the hotline at 011-16089935.
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