A graduate of the prestigious Design Academy in Eindhoven, Pierre Castignola is interested in the notion of patent in the world of design. His research angle? A piece of furniture known by a large number of people on our planet: the good old plastic chair. We may not know who originally designed this globally used chair, but there are many reinterpretations of it that are currently patented. Remakes, which Castignola, in turn, has dismembered, reworked, and reassembled. The different sections of the seats were then combined with each other to create a series of unique objects. Intriguing and surreal, these conceptual pieces are both radical and critical, inviting us to reconsider the ambiguous relationship between patent law and the freedom to create.

“The patent is part of the intellectual property system. It was created to protect inventors and creators from theft in the early days of capitalism. A way to create a safe environment to push creation. But is this still the case today?” asks the young designer. “The system is going awry. The patent system does not benefit the creator but is used by large companies to ensure a monopoly of creation,” he emphasizes. What if copying and creation were two intimately linked processes? What if copying was a human need repressed by our Western culture? This is why Pierre Castignola has conceived “Copytopia,” from a place where the freedom of creation is regained.

https://www.pierrecastignola.com/

Lisa Agostini