Free Beer 3.4

Posted on December 10, 2007 Under Life

We maintain around here that (most) best things in life are preceded by the word “free”, beer being one of those things. Free Beer is actually the name of the concept behind Danish art collective Superflex‘s exhibit at Sao Paulo’s Galeria Vermelho, which builds upon the idea that more is merrier. Instead of guarding the secret formula behind a tasty beer as the majority of breweries are apt to create, Superflex are sharing the recipe with the world so everyone can have a drunken good time. As an individual you can follow the recipe, add your own little magic and sell the resulting alcohol, but the only rule you have to adhere is that you need to publish your recipe so that others can produce it themselves if they want. Sound familiar? It’s called Creative Commons. The current, fourth incarnation of Free Beer is a result of a partnership between Superflex and Cervejaria Germania, a Brazilian brewery, and has been tweaked slightly in order to suit the Brazilians’ taste. You can buy a can or keg of the frothy stuff at the gallery after playing all the humorously crafted games Superflex have set up, which teach lessons about distribution, licenses, working together and competing in the marketplace. The exhibit runs until December 22nd.