DENIS MAKSIMOV

Is art a luxury or a necessity?

”The Dream” in Chicago, by Jaume Plensa

For those who shrug off potential side effects of this trend, it should be noted that creativity, when it is ‘directed’ out of practical concerns, hardly has any chance to flourish. 

Is it possible for these two opposing dimensions to meet somewhere? A place where it is plausible to be economical and assess impact, and at the same time provide necessary resources for artistic innovation while omitting layers of bureaucracy, corruption, nepotism and systemically ill hierarchies? 

Yes. Absolutely. Case studies exist. It’s a new trend in the making, but is taking time to catch on. One reason this may be slow to happen is that art may be the only ‘product’ of human activity that can’t be reduced to a utilitarian relationship in the sense described by Jeremy Bentham or Daniel Bernoulli before him. Art is the dimension that makes us human and provides us with the essence of the difference between ‘existing’ and ‘living’. You can certainly ‘exist’ with good provisions of water, electricity, defence and other ‘common utilities’. But when can you say you ‘live’ a full, exciting and rich life? ‘To live is the rarest thing in the world, most people exist - that’s all’ - said Oscar Wilde in the end of 19 century. Even in times of crisis, why shouldn’t it be the shared dream that every person may live. He also said that ‘when artists get together for dinner they talk about money. When bankers get together for a meal they talk about art.’

This is one of art’s social benefits. It provides a mirror in which to consider what it is to live. It also speaks towards a multiplicity of narratives that consider how art provides a democratic and accessible platform for reflection, motivation, self-development, inspiration, innovation and creativity; assets that are integral to building a better future. Jacques Derrida famously spoke about two types of future: ‘planned future’ and ‘real future’. One represents our daily calendar. It includes meetings and events, keeping in mind performance and deliverables. It’s managerial. A ‘planned future’ is something we design. The ‘real future’ is full of art, which opens unknown doors, provides leads to unexpected opportunities and boosts conceptual innovation. Here planning helps prepare for shifts in perspective and the forging of new futures. As government investigates best policy, a direct middle-way involves stakeholder outreach across all societal sectors. 

In terms of ‘art as design,’ there are many ways in which artists are currently adding value to cross-sectoral projects in science, technology, agriculture and other areas, where an artistic methodology offers measurable return to an existing workflow or framework. At the very least, artists help other types of researchers look at their work from different perspectives. Artists who are willing and able, can build sufficient support for their careers by pursuing projects that offer salaries and fuel their research. Not every artist is a research based artist however, and for many ‘pure’ art projects, the government shoulders the burden of support. Protecting the poetry of this very idea is not a weight it needs to carry alone. 

In one way or another, every citizen benefits from art even if when encountering it, it is often treated as if it were a gift given by default. While art’s influence is without exception, it is a potentially much smaller number of individuals that realize the real and potential impact that art has on their life and environment. This isn’t however the case with advertising. 

Why should art not be as present? Why should the government go at that alone?

If you answer the first question, with – ‘that sounds interesting’, and the second with, - ‘I get that,’ there are several great examples of businesses showing an active interest in assuming responsibility for supporting the arts while committed to the benefits of this contribution. These range from museum quality collections like those of Belgacom or the Progressive Collection in the United States, to CSR Foundations like the “Dare to Explore Foundation” who chose to support an NGO that created a residency and public arts program in Brussels or an association like Digital Europe, which wanted to create an atmosphere that was engaging for their employees, members and guests.

The shared attitude amongst these different examples, can be opportunistically described as what the ‘Je Suis Charlie’ meme hoped to communicate: an allegiance to freedom of expression and a support of the arts even when it isn’t headline news; an attitude that goes beyond any ‘selfie’ while paying attention to the impact of aesthetics.

To us, this seems like a win-win scenario. In the office, art provides a way to inspire your staff and guests, both by transforming the working environment and by integrating company culture into internal and external communication strategies. This can provide a boost in productivity, innovative thinking and pleasure, as well as visualizing the values, challenges and mission of an organization in unforgettable ways. Outside the office, these kind of investments make an enormous difference in the careers of artists and provide a value that exceeds the retail price of any particular object. They feed the artistic landscape and provide models to be reviewed as best policy practices are updated. 

The first step to this of course is recognizing that art is not ‘decoration’, but rather a unique societal product of human creativity, which holds immense potential. It’s time to take action and merge planned and future points of view to make the most of this integral asset. This position poses art as a valid form of corporate social responsibility and should be followed with a willingness to explore sustainable short, middle and long-term ways to intertwine the public life of art in private affairs.

by Denis Maksimov and Harlan Levey

Harlan Levey and Denis Maksimov are working together as a curatorial team to help companies, political institutions and expert organisations work out their strategy of activities via contemporary art, including visualisation of values, collecting and management of the collection. Harlan Levey Projects was selected as the only Belgian participate to the First Call curated category of Art Brussels 2014. 

published in The Brussels Times Magazine, February-March 2015