A New Press Article on My Practice and Intellectual Property
Intellectual property has never been more central to creative practice than it is today. As digital tools, generative technologies and hybrid workflows reshape how artists work and share their creations, the question of how authorship is defined, protected and communicated becomes increasingly urgent.
I am therefore delighted to share the publication of a new case study about my practice on Creatives Unite — a European platform dedicated to supporting the cultural and creative sectors through insights, resources and stories from across Europe.
The article is titled « From Analogue Roots to Digital Rights: Benoît Theunissen’s IP Journey » and was produced in collaboration with the Intellectual Property Institute Luxembourg (IPIL). It explores how my work, situated between analogue photography, digital creation and AI-assisted processes, confronts the challenges and opportunities of authorship in the contemporary creative landscape.
Creative Practice and Intellectual Property
In the case study, I discuss the way my practice functions as a kind of ecosystem: beginning with film photography, collage, glitch art and texture archives, and extending into digital painting and generative AI when appropriate. Despite the diversity of tools, the artistic centre of gravity remains human.
As I reflect there, “the camera used to be the finish line; now it’s only the starting point.” This shift demands not just creative reinvention, but a clearer understanding of how authorship is established, proven and defended — particularly in a world where algorithms can generate convincing imitations.
Making IP a Creative Infrastructure
A key insight of the article is that intellectual property should not be seen as an afterthought or a purely legal technicality. In my work, IP functions as a creative infrastructure: something that supports integrity, identity and sustainability.
This shapes many aspects of how I approach my practice:
I document my creative process meticulously — retaining sketches, collages, prompts and drafts — so that the origin and evolution of each piece can be clearly demonstrated.
I engage with blockchain and NFT technology not as a speculative trend, but as a tool for provenance and timestamped records of origin for digital works.
Licensing agreements, watermarked previews and clear contractual terms define and protect how my work may be used, shown or adapted.
This systematic approach to IP is not defensive: it allows the work to travel, be exhibited, licensed and published — and gives partners, collectors and institutions the confidence to engage with it in ways that respect both artistic intention and legal clarity.
A European Context
The case study’s publication on Creatives Unite places these reflections within a broader European discussion about creativity, technology and rights. Creatives Unite is a platform that gathers tools, stories and insights for cultural and creative professionals across the continent, and the piece was produced under Creative FLIP, an EU-co-funded initiative aimed at strengthening resilience in key areas including intellectual property.
If you are interested in how artists might navigate the shifting terrain of creation, AI and ownership, I invite you to read the full case study on Creatives Unite.