My simple answer is yes. I think that artists that do art about
organizations (or about economic issues and business in a general sense)
certainly fall under (what I hope) is the broad umbrella of
"organizational aesthetics". I think such critical voices are very
important.
And I do hope you can produce an English version of your book because I
want to read it.
- Steve
--
Steven S. Taylor, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Business
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 Institute Rd
Worcester, MA 01609
USA
On 2/2/11 7:43 AM, "Brigitte Biehl-Missal [bbb]" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Dear All
>
>In 2010 I have been in touch with some of you regarding my book about
>"Wirtschaftsästhetik" (Gabler Publishers: May 2011). It is in German and
>gives on overview of Organizational Aesthetics, with an emphasis on
>national practice, the subtitle being: "How companies use art as an
>instrument and inspiration". The book aims to better establish the field
>in the German research context, since I would want to secure a larger
>national research grant following my current maternity leave.
>As you know, in Germany there are promising new research projects, e.g.
>on arts-based interventions from the WZB, there are works and
>publications by artists like Henrik Schrat and others, there are new
>initiatives at Zeppelin University, and extant works on theatre in
>organizations - but there is still a lot of research to do.
>
>I am writing because I was wondering what you think about the ROLE OF
>ARTISTS which do NOT work WITH organizations, but decided to do "artistic
>interventions" WITHOUT BEING ASKED.
>
>Do people feel that this should be part of the Organizational Aesthetics
>"field"?
>
>So far, I have included chapters about
>1 Theory & Methods
>2 Aesthetic Phenomena (aesthetic and emotional labour, products & design,
>architecture)
>3 Metaphors (manager as an artist, music: orchestra & jazz, theatre,
>storytelling)
>4 Arts-based interventions (paintings, theatre, poetry, literature,
>music, sculpture and symbolic methods)
>5 Artists' Resistance
>
>- I did not find literature about "dance" as an arts-based intervention
>(I only cited one book, Denhardt&D. 2005, and spoke to Katrin Kolo)
>
>- and I have not yet read about suggestions to include "Artistic
>Resistance", and did not find much literature about such interventions
>
>I realized that not only organizations use art, but artists are
>increasingly dealing with business issues and are putting trends of
>economic aestheticization (such as theatrical environments, emotional
>labour, storytelling, etc.) at the centre of their work.
>
>-You will probably know Reverend Billy and the Church of Life after
>Shopping Gospel Choir who, with semi-ironic preacher performances, invade
>Starbuck branches and Disney stores, criticizing them as "theatrical
>environments" which make forget about exploitation and unfair trading
>practices.
>-There is another example from Berlin: Rimini Protokoll, a group of
>theatre directors, used Daimler¹s 2009 Annual General Meeting as a
>ready-made and constructs it as a theatre play entitled
>"Hauptversammlung". Two hundred theatre spectators were channelled into
>the carefully staged event via the purchase of shares. Against the will
>of the company. There was high media awareness.
>-The painter Verena Landau has created an edition of works illustrating
>herself stealing one of her art-works that was bought by HypoVereinsbank
>- without her being aware of it until she saw it in the press. She was
>critical towards this as she felt her work was instrumentalized for
>corporate PR.
>
>Some of these phenomena are discussed in academic literature, e.g. in
>theatre studies (Reverend Billy), and in other disciplines. But not yet
>from an organizational studies or management studies perspective.
>Do you know about articles or books which reflect these topics in the
>context of OA?
>
>I think there is a lot to learn from these artistic interventions re
>critical reflection, the use of art in organizations, and for OA research
>as well (use of artistic forms for organizational inquiry). Do other
>people share this opinion or do you see this as a distinctive phenomenon
>which is not informative for OA researchers? What will the OA field make
>of this trend?
>
>Your comments are very welcome, since I may be able to integrate thoughts
>into my book, and use ideas for a future research project.
>
>Best wishes
>
>Brigitte
>
>Dr Brigitte Biehl-Missal
>
>Visiting Researcher
>School of Management and Business
>Aberystwyth University SY23 3DD
>Wales, United Kingdom
>
>Südwestkorso 74
>D -12161 Berlin
>Mob. 0049-1511-499 48 71
>
>
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