Superflex FREE BEER/TAIWAN
FREE BEER is a beer which is free in the sense of freedom, not in the sense of cost-free beer. The project, originally conceived by Copenhagen-based artist collective Superflex and students at the Copenhagen IT University, applies modern free software / open source methods to a traditional real-world product - namely the alcoholic beverage, loved and enjoyed globally, and commonly known as beer. The recipe and branding elements of FREE BEER are published under a Creative Commons (Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5) license, which means that anyone can use the recipe to brew their own FREE BEER or create a derivative of the recipe. One of the prime objectives of the project is to build an open business, which, starting from a real product, questions the system of copyright, in relation to intellectual property.
Superflex has recently produced the project FREE BEER with several different partners. For the Biennial, they collaborated with North Taiwan Brewing (NTB) to produce FREE BEER TAIWAN.
The FREE BEER project is also featured in the exhibition via a series of game machines, such as an anti-piracy machine and a potato machine, which follow the rubric of counter-game strategies. The rules of each game are presented next to them, and they simulate the workings of the social and economic system, in terms of production and distribution, competitiveness, collaboration, earnings and profit. These clunky objects - representing the absurdity of the power relations that surround and superintend the production of culture - are for the visitors to play with freely.
FREE BEER/TAIWAN