Think free? A Bologna street artist claims authorship: it's not a slogan

Everyone who watched the first night of the Sanremo festival yesterday was talking about it: Chiara Ferragni ’s dress with the inscription “Think Free,” taken from a work by the duo Claire Fontaine, who took a photo in Genoa of a coat of arms with this inscription on it, which according to their account was found “on a wall after a women’s procession” in the Ligurian capital, and then photographed as per their practice (in fact, the duo works with ready-made). However, neither Chiara Ferragni nor Claire Fontaine mentioned the author of the writing. And so the authorship of “Think Yourself Free” was claimed today by a street artist and tattoo artist from Bologna, Black Scars, who made himself heard through a post on his Instagram account.

“Think Yourself Free is not a slogan,” he wrote. “Think Free yourself is not a product. Think Free yourself is not a photo. Think Free yourself is not a post. Think Free Yourself Free is not for a fashion. Think Yourself Free is not a manifesto. Think Free yourself is not someone’s property. Think Yourself Free is not for sale. Think Yourself Free is not to commodify an idea.” For Black Scars, “Think Yourself Free” is “an act of will to liberate people from the superficial, fast-paced and suffocating modern life,” it is a “breath among the brambles of filing cabinets, tables and orders.”

From Black Scars, no direct accusations aimed at Claire Fontaine or Chiara Ferragni (although both the duo and the influencer were tagged in her post), but there are many who come to the tattoo artist’s defense. Some speak of plagiarism, some of disrespect, some of shameful appropriation. And many expect the name of the real author to emerge on an official level as well.

Think free? A Bologna street artist claims authorship: it's not a slogan

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.