A Japanese gallery has asked for a Finnish artist to remove certain corporate brands from his exhibit, even though the work itself is a playful look at the demands of modern copyright laws.
“Shoe Liberation Army” is the result of collaboration between artist Jani Leinonen and shoe designer Minna Parikka, in which they poke fun at the modern world of corporate branding via a brightly decorated room featuring an array of corporate mascots emblazoned on the walls and shoes.
“It started out when Minna Parikka designed some shoes that had four stripes,” explains Leinonen. “She had to scrap the design because Adidas said it breached their copyright. There’s nothing a small shoe maker can do about that.”
Now the pair have had to alter the work somewhat because the Tokyo gallery currently hosting it wants to remove the ‘Hello Kitty’ and ‘Doraemon’ brands—both popular in Japan.
“They’re scared that they might get hit with lawsuits,” said Leinonen, who said he’d remove the few Japanese brands that are present in the work.
“It really hit the spot,” said Leinonen. “Sure it pissed me off a little, I have to say.”
The exhibition has been on show at the Amos Anderson gallery in Helsinki and in Washington DC.