The law of art

Die Rechtswissenschaftlerin Antonia Bruneder kennt sich gut mit den rechtlichen Aspekten der Musik aus. Foto: Uni Graz/Tzivanopoulos

Does the law set a limit to art, or does it enable it to overcome its barriers? Lawyer Antonia Bruneder provides the answer.

The fundamental right to artistic freedom secures a legal space for art. Here, artistic creation can be free to overcome its boundaries and develop further. This protection allows artists to overcome certain legal barriers; it enables opinions, statements, and activities that would no longer be permitted in a non-artistic context.

However, this scope for artistic opinion sometimes borders on the offensive, inflammatory or distasteful. This is where the law of art finally says: Stop! This is when the rights of others are violated.

Art and law are intertwined. Art pushes the boundaries of the law and thus shows the barriers in the state structure that may have to be opened under certain circumstances. At the same time, it is the fundamental right to artistic freedom that makes the space for this representation possible. However, to protect others, there must be a line that must not be crossed. The exact location of this line must be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Kommunikation und Öffentklichkeitsarneit

Related news

Long Night of Research: How many languages are there in the world?

From a linguistic perspective, there are worlds of difference between Bern, Berlin and Vienna. A dialect impersonator will demonstrate live just how varied German can sound. How many languages are there in the world? What are their distinctive features? Which of these are spoken in Austria? These and other questions will be answered during the Long Night of Research at the University of Graz: on Friday, 24 April 2025, from 5 pm to 11 pm, in the University Library. Visitors can immerse themselves in the diversity of languages without travelling far by taking part in a quiz at the station.

Dual role: Researchers show that platelets can worsen disease

Platelets are best known as rapid responders in the event of injury. They stop bleeding and are indispensable for wound healing. “However, thrombocytes can also aggravate diseases, especially when inflammatory processes are involved,” explains Marion Mußbacher, a pharmacist at the University of Graz. She investigated the “dual role” of platelets in relation to fatty liver disease, a condition closely linked to obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Forscher:innen entdecken natürlichen Wirkstoff zum Schutz vor Lebererkrankungen

Die Leber leidet still. „Fetteinlagerungen, strukturelle Zerstörung des Gewebes oder mutierende Tumorzellen – all das fliegt eine Weile unter dem Radar. Begleitet werden diese Veränderungen oft von leichten, jedoch chronischen Entzündungen“, erklärt Andreas Koeberle, Pharmazeut an der Universität Graz. Er hat mit seinem Team und Kolleg:innen der Universität Innsbruck den Wirkstoff Mitrephoron B untersucht, der neue Behandlungsansätze ermöglicht. Die Ergebnisse der Studie wurden kürzlich in der Open-Access-Fachzeitschrift „Theranostics“ veröffentlicht.

Climate at the cliffs: Researchers unravel the evolution of the Greenland ice margin

Vertical ice walls, up to 40 metres high: in "Game of Thrones" they were dramatised as fortifications; during the Cold War, they were studied with great interest. How these imposing walls along Greenland’s 80,000-kilometre-long ice margin formed, how they are evolving, and what impact they have on the climate is not yet fully understood. Researchers from the Universities of Graz and Innsbruck have come one step closer to solving the mystery. The results of their latest study have been published in the journal The Cryosphere.