The Legal Lab is a research programme exploring how the law can support collaboration across art, science and technology. Working with artists, curators, scholars, lawyers, legal designers and technologists, the Lab investigates legal issues and develops accessible legal solutions for the cultural sector. Lawyer, curator and founder of Guest Work Agency, Alana Kushnir, leads the project.
Watch
- Legal Lab live: Forging Creative Agency in the Metaverse
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An introduction to the cultural uses of the metaverse. Topics include: intellectual property, moral rights and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP).
- Legal Lab live: Indigenous Sovereignty in the Metaverse ft. Vanessa Lee-Ah Mat
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A discussion about Indigenous agency, data sovereignty and the relevance of ICIP.
- Legal Lab Live: Evolutions in Web3 Licensing
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A session exploring the legal and technical uncertainties of licensing NFTs (non-fungible tokens).
- Summit: Radical Friends
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This summit discussed decentralised digital infrastructures for art, culture and society. It aimed to create a new environment for mutual aid and solidarity in the cultural sector.
- Emerging Tech Law Discussion
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The Lab participated in an online panel discussion about the legal considerations of NFTs.
- From Black Boxes to Open Systems: NFTs and the Law
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A discussion about the legal implications of NFTs for collectors and artistic collaborators. The Lab produced the event in collaboration with Rhizome.
Read
- Legal Lab Report 1: Art + Tech/Science Collaborations
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In July 2021, the Legal Lab launched a report on legal issues arising in art + tech/science collaborations. You can also watch the launch event on Serpentine’s Twitch.
- The Legal Ambiguities of Art Collaborations and their Compatibility with NFTs
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In May 2021, the Legal Lab published a paper on the increased presence of digital assets within the art industry. It also discusses how NFTs pose new legal challenges and highlights existing ones.
Past participation and collaborations
- ANAT Spectra
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In April 2022, the Legal Lab participated in the online symposium 36 Ideas to While Away the Winter. The presentation focussed on artistic agency in the metaverse.
- NFT DEB Generative Dimensions Conference
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The Legal Lab participated in the 2021 NFT DEB Generative Dimensions Conference. The conference focussed on the economy and ecology. It brought together speakers from computer science, business, law, art, and environmental activism.
- Supporting Open Culture Through Open Data
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In 2021, the Legal Lab hosted a two-day workshop on restrictions and hidden opportunities within copyright law. It also addressed open data policies in culture. It was a collaboration with ReCreating Europe, GLAM-E Lab and the Egyptian Museum in Turin.
- Art Law Coffee Talk: Introducing the Serpentine Legal Lab
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In collaboration with the Center for Art Law, the Legal Lab participated in a discussion on legal design, and collaborations across art and technology.
- Legal Lab Summit
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In October 2019, The Legal Lab held a summit with artists, curators, scholars, lawyers, legal designers, and technologists.
People
- People
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- Alana Kushnir — Guest Work Agency
- Victoria Ivanova — R&D Strategic Lead (Serpentine, Arts Technologies)
- Alexander Boyes — Producer (Serpentine, Arts Technologies)
Advisory Panel
- The work of the Legal Lab is guided by a cross-disciplinary Advisory Panel
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- Astrid Kohlmeier, a lawyer and designer for legal design and legal tech
- Connal Parsley, Senior Lecturer in Law at Kent Law School, UK
- Daniel McClean, art lawyer and partner at Cypress LLP
- Ivaylo Getov, Technical Director for Fine Art projects, Co-founder and Creative Director at Luxloop
- James Wreford, Member of Black Shuck Cooperative
- Kathleen E. Kim, art lawyer at Liwu Law Group South Korea
- Lauren van Haaften-Schick, curator, writer and PhD Candidate in the History of Art and Visual Studies at Cornell University
- Marie Potel-Saville, founder of Amurabi, a legal innovation by design agency
- Rita Arrigo, Strategic Engagement Manager, CSIRO National AI Centre
- Sara Rayment, founder of Inkling Legal Design, a consultancy that reimagines legal services through design, law and emerging technology and Conjoint Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle
- Sophie Netchaef, curator and former Strategic Projects Manager, Serpentine Galleries
- Yayoi Shionoiri, art lawyer and Executive Director to the Estate of Chris Burden and the Studio of Nancy Rubins based in New York
- Safiya Ahmed, IP and technology lawyer at Russells UK
- Roxanne Peters, Creative and Cultural IP Rights Specialist, University of the Arts London
- Rival Strategy
