“Last week, a plagiarism scandal rocked the Guggenheim Bilbao and their Basque Artist Program. The original allegations were published by Hannah Swayze, a producer who worked on the short film Blue by artist dayday. According to the claims, the Spanish artist Gala Knörr used the film as inspiration for her painting entitled Young Cowboy Gazing. Specifically, Swayze claimed that the opening shot of Blue was the clear inspiration for Knörr’s piece and that the similarities between the two were unmistakable.”
Jonathan Bailey. “A Different Kind of Plagiarism Resolution”. PlagiarismToday, 21st July 2022. https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2022/07/21/a-different-kind-of-plagiarism-resolution/ Accessed: 16th August 2022
The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao has recently sparked attention to choosing an alternative approach to deal with a case of plagiarism. Instead of condemning the plagiarist, the Guggenheim Museum chose to help the victim by displaying the film and the painting that raised the controversy side by side. After the respondent had admitted to the mistake, this approach was decided with support from both the victim and the respondent. The outcome of this case led visitors to the Guggenheim Museum to enjoy both pieces of art.
This case opened a discussion about the alternative routes to deal with cases of plagiarism and how often the spotlight is on the plagiarist, with less attention being paid to supporting the victim. Although the route chosen by the Guggenheim Museum shows a clear intention to put the victim first while working on a reparative solution, such an approach might not be feasible in all cases.
Click here if you want to learn more about this case and the alternative routes to deal with cases of plagiarism.
● What are your views about this case?
● Do you think the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao chose the right approach to deal with this case?
● Do you see this reparative solution as possible to implement when dealing with cases of plagiarism in academia or research?
● Do you agree that victims of plagiarism are often neglected while the spotlight is on the plagiarist?
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