Plagiarism or Inspiration is a research project in the form of a game by La Pistona Observatory on Creativity in Nature.
It explores how art and creativity are not exclusive to humans but also involve animals, insects, and plants.
Click here to participate.
The game encourages reflection on how humans often draw from nature’s models and ideas in their creations—sometimes closely copying them without acknowledging nature’s contributions. Among humans, shared creativity is typically regulated, with all contributors participating in the benefits of the idea.
Imagine Nature as a judge evaluating human creations inspired by its works. For example, a human-designed building that resembles a beehive might be:
- Plagiarism: A close imitation of nature with no originality.
- Collaboration: The result of creativity from both nature and humans.
- Inspiration: Inspired by nature, but the creativity is entirely human.
This raises an important question: if humans regulate shared creativity among themselves, why not imagine models where nature is acknowledged and rewarded for its creative inspiration?
We already have a case study with Spotify and Soundrights’s “Nature as a verified artist” initiative aimed at promoting music that incorporates natural sounds.
Artists who compose tracks featuring elements like wind, birdsong, rainfall, ocean waves, or forest ambiances—collectively referred to as biophonic and geophonic sounds—can upload their work to this channel.
Part of the royalties generated from streams on this channel are donated to environmental organizations dedicated to preserving biodiversity and supporting non-human species. This initiative merges art with advocacy, leveraging music to raise awareness and funds for pressing ecological causes.
So why not expand this model? Our Survey is the first stepping stone in this direction.
The survey results will be published on Instagram and on our website in May 2025.
