This presentation will begin with a brief theoretical examination into the institutional similarities between contemporary art and law. Focus will then narrow to issues in copyright law, providing a brief overview of the regime here in Canada followed by in-depth discussion on selected leading copyright cases in Canada and the United States involving artists’ work. The objective is to give shape to discourse that lies at the intersection of art and law, namely the issue of fixation, reproduction, and fair use.

A brief discussion on legal information clinics in the Montreal area and other low cost resources for artists will conclude the session.

Please note that this presentation is for informational purposes only and in no way constitutes legal advice.

Mara Verna - Biography
Mara Verna, B.C.L./LL.B Candidate (McGill), B.F.A., (Concordia), works as Project Coordinator and Principal Researcher for Dr. Nandini Ramanujam, Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism at McGill Faculty of Law on a comprehensive study entitled “The Rule of Law and Economic Development in Russia” in partnership with the Center for Legal and Economic Studies, based in Moscow to advance research on the interplay between legal and economic development in transition economies.

In 2011, she worked as research assistant for Dr. Konstantia Koutouki (University of Montreal), Lead Counsel for Natural Resources with the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) where she produced legal briefs on land claims. Since 2010, she has been a member of the Legal Research Group with the CISDL producing legal working papers on various points of international law and sustainable development.

Ms. Verna has participated in several conferences including: ‘Responsibility, Fraternity and Sustainability in Law: A Symposium in Honour of Charles D. Gonthier’ at McGill Faculty of Law in 2011, ‘The Muse’s Scribe: Nexus of Intellectual Property and the Arts’ at McGill Faculty of Law in 2010, and ‘Fieldworks: Dialogues Between Art and Anthropology’ at Tate Modern, London, UK in 2003.

From 2004 to 2009, she founded and operated her own successful company in the manufacturing and retail sector. Ms. Verna also gained international recognition as a contemporary artist, exhibiting extensively between 1999 and 2005, her work characterized by site-specific fieldwork and engagement with local communities, notably in South Africa. Selected research and production residencies include Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada (2004), Localismos, Mexico D.F. (2004), École Nationale Supérieure de Paris-Cergy, France (2002), the Fordsburg Artists’ Studios, Johannesburg, South Africa (2001). A well-known web project features a collection of audio recordings surrounding the legacy of Sara Baartman and continues to be a relevant source of inquiry on the subject.

The workshops and presentations are open to everyone interested in art professionalisation (sadly the space is not wheelchair accessible yet).
All workshops, events and activities at articule are free.
The workshop will be offered in English.
Please RSVP so we know how to organize the space.

Les ateliers seront offerts en anglais avec la possibilité de traduction vers le francais.
Los talleres seran presentados en inglés, con posibilidad de traduccion en espanol.