UPDATE: Nadia has been sued by Louis Vuitton again, this time over her painting Darfurnica.
Here’s one from the archives – remember Nadia Plesner, the Danish artist under fire from Louis Vuitton for copyright infringement? Perhaps the image will jog your memory:
What ever happened to her?
Counterfeit Chic reports that
Nadia has established a multi-purpose charitable foundation, whose website makes no overt mention of LV but merely thanks readers for “all the wonderful support of my first Simple Living campaign and the lawsuit.”
Plesner has updated her Simple Living campaign, shown below. The now infamous Sudanese boy no longer carries his LV bag, but he does have a new companion, Miss Size Zero 2008.
While the LV bag has disappeared, Plesner hasn’t given up the copyfight. Her new campaign against child prostitution and human trafficking pushes the buttons of another trademarked brand.
5 Comments
Kate
December 12, 2008Okay okay, so I didn’t write this the last time this came up. I decided “eh, why join this particular fray.” But now it’s back and I have to say: My problem with the image created by Nadia Plesner is aesthetic and ethical rather than legalistic. Though she is right to point out that there are important connections to be made between capitalism, conspicuous consumption, genocide, and the media, the symbol she has created to stand for these connections is, to my mind, staggeringly opportunistic, insensitive, vulgar and disrespectful to the very people on whose behalf she purports to be speaking. And her choice of the Vuittonesque luggage can be interpreted as a calculated move to focus attention on the image, the artist herself and on copyright issues, rather than on issues like the genocide in Darfur, which she maintains is her goal in making such art. I find it misguided at best, and at worst terribly offensive. Now I have to admit, even without the LV bag, I still feel about the same way: these images are meant to shock us, to make us feel some combination of guilty and smug (guilty about Western consumption, smug because we’re “wise” to it”), but not really to do much to deepen an understanding about Darfur or how to engage meaningfully and productively.
James David
December 12, 2008Kate, I’m curious, do you feel the same way about social marketing that uses shock value?
Kate
December 12, 2008I dunno–what’s “social marketing”?
James David
December 12, 2008You’ll find lots of good examples at Osocio.
Nazarite Spirit
April 8, 2009I agree with Kate. I really don’t think this approach is very effective. I agree that more will be offended by it.