3rd Symposium: Art and Economy
The tense relationship between art and business was the topic of Denkwerkstatt's third symposium for managers on June 8, 2013.
For the great mastermind Joseph Schumpeter, every manager was an artist. He called for the creative destruction and creative building of organizations. But is this more than a metaphor? Dr. Roland Geschwill introduced the topic with a lecture on the legendary Apple founder Steve Jobs.
Jobs distinguished himself not only by creatively breaking through industry boundaries, but also by absolute passion for the product. For him, design had the same rank as technology. At Apple, the design and presentation of the product are at least as important as the technical achievements.
Rainer Kern spoke about creativity and its different manifestations. The founder and director of the well-known Enjoy Jazz festival has been working successfully with BASF's cultural sponsorship for years. He emphasized the importance of experiencing art and music.
Doris Rothauer from Vienna, author of the book "Art and Capital," gave examples of artists who can provide impulses for companies with their works.
The American artist Andrea Zittel, for example, explores in her experimental installations how we will live tomorrow. Konstantin Adamopoulos provided information about the Bronnbach scholarship program of the Kulturkreis der deutschen Wirtschaft. The goal is to strengthen the cultural competence of prospective managers. The curator also showed how artists can bring movement into a company through their interventions.
The symposium participants from the management levels of Alstom, the City of Mannheim and AOK Baden-Württemberg, among others, engaged in lively discussions with the speakers on the question of whether and how art can contribute to innovation in companies and what key role corporate management plays in this. At the end of the stimulating day, they attested that the two organizers, Dr. Roland Geschwill and Dr. Martina Nieswandt, had taken home valuable impulses for their work.