LITHUANIAN artist Ernest Zacharevic’s latest exhibition is not just an art showcase, but a boarding pass into the turbulence of artistic rights, corporate irony and public engagement.
Housed at Cultprint on Lebuh Melayu, the immersive installation titled We Need to Talk transforms the gallery into a full-fledged airport terminal, complete with a faux check-in counter, a “runway” bench, a conveyor belt and a cockpit-style console, along with limited-edition boarding passes and class-themed merchandise packs.
“We want the visitors of the gallery to be participants in an experience rather than a viewer of the art. Everyone goes through a bit of inconvenience, delays and frustration when travelling through airports. It is that same frustration that artists go through when their work is used without permission,” said Zacharevic.
The airport metaphor serves as setting and satire. In his ongoing intellectual property dispute with an airline over the unauthorised use of his artwork, Zacharevic has transformed his studio into a powerful platform advocating for artists’ rights.
Modelled after the safety instruction cards typically found behind airline passenger seats, a printed “safety card” at the exhibition breaks down its underlying message. “Art and ideas travel fast these days. But when artworks cross commercial boundaries... the creator is too often left behind,” it read. The display highlights how original works are frequently reused and profited from without permission, credit or fair compensation.
Zacharevic also pointed out that such commercialisation, when carried out by powerful corporations, is often accompanied by fierce protection of their own intellectual property (IP) rights while ignoring those of creators. According to the exhibition notes, most independent artists lack the legal and financial resources to defend themselves, leaving them at a disadvantage in corporate environments.
“Art is not made to sit quietly in frames. It is born from defiance, from culture, from place and decades of training,” the exhibition notes.
The exhibition includes limited-edition prints of aeroplanes, artist-designed passports, mock boarding passes and in-flight-style amenity kits divided into ticket classes – from economy to business and first class. Some visitors, depending on their “ticket”, receive mystery art prints or a curated pack of aviation-themed merchandise.
Each element is carefully designed, blending graphic design, installation and conceptual art. The silk-screen prints were produced in-house by Cultprint, some using manual
printing processes that give them a handmade finish.
“This is a bit different from my usual art. It is not just paintings on the wall. It is conceptual. It is a bit of design, a bit of satire. It is about experience,” he said.
At the centre of the gallery space is a “runway” bench installation, which resembles a bench, where visitors can sit, interact and take part in talks and events. This also functions as the venue for upcoming artist talks and legal clinics, including a panel with fellow creatives and IP lawyers, and a free IP consultation clinic in August.
Aviation references and irony are woven throughout the space, from red and black plane artworks to first-class “boarding” perks and even mock in-flight food packs. The tone is playful and serious. While visitors may enjoy the novelty of unpacking an “in-flight” gift pack, the underlying message relates to a broader conversation around copyright, corporate appropriation and artistic agency.
Despite its satiric undertones, Zacharevic insisted the exhibition is not a personal attack against the airline.
“There is no bad blood. We are just bringing up the conversation. This all started as a social media post that picked up attention. But when I was looking for a name for the exhibition. I thought – We really do need to talk,” he said.
We Need to Talk is open to the public on Fridays through Sundays, 12pm to 7pm, throughout July and August, at Cultprint, George Town. Entry is free, and merchandise proceeds go toward legal expenses and raising awareness about artists’ rights.
