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Can You Trademark Culture?

African-inspired designs adorn catwalks in Paris and Milan, and western artists from Picasso to Damien Hirst have used African themes in their works.

Is this artistic inspiration and paying homage to the original artworks - as Hirst has said of his use in his exhibition at this year's Venice Biennale of a sculpture resembling an Ife head from present-day Nigeria? Or is it cultural misappropriation?

It's a subject that provokes deep emotions, as one of the 麻豆社 Africa Debate panelists visual artist Thania Petersen describes to the 麻豆社's Pooneh Ghoddoosi

(Photo: Thania Petersen, South African artist and photographer. Credit: 麻豆社)

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Duration:

2 minutes