At times we can feel lost in the sea of our fellow co-workers when we work for a large corporation. There are so many talented people. I’ve always asked myself how they could show their unique capabilities beyond the job they have and connect with each other. I found that art is the perfect way.
Pushing the first domino
Myself along with my team pushed the first domino by using creativity as the running force behind a cross-company effort to what ultimately became an internal pop-up gallery. It was an educational and complete team-bonding experience for both those involved and even those that were not.
We called it the OUT of OFFICE art exhibition, as it was a showcase of personal artistic abilities all produced outside the normal work realm. The pop-up art gallery featured employee-artists displaying paintings, prints, photography, fashion, food design, and multiple creative installations. There was a lot of enthusiasm to see each individual’s work and it was infectious, it created a positive atmosphere that got everyone talking.
Forgetting about routines
Being able to see a visual representation of what someone is seeing inside their own mind creates that next dimension of communication and encourages dialogues. I had conversations with people I had never spoken with before, explaining to me how one artist’s work reminded them of something from their childhood, another one showcasing a city they would love to visit, another a digital skillset they would love to explore.
“I realized that having this all take place in the workplace broke up our routine and allowed a new stimulation to take place and a bubbling over of inspiration and exchange.”
Overall there were nineteen different displays in a gallery setting, with one just available for the opening night. This was a six-meter-long edible replica of ‘The Last Supper’ painting, which was made up of small squares of savories and desserts. Crowds of people were able to walk around and try mystery squares instantly connecting with each other and opening conversations by trying something new and totally unique.
In the speech for the opening night of the art exhibit, a line was taken from each artist’s personal descriptor of their work. What came out was a rendition that perfectly described the night’s collaborative creativity:
To reflect my emotions,
any creative curiosity you have but do not express becomes a burden on your life,
when purity, simplicity and sleekness redefine connected to each other
and abandon them to their fate in this chaos.
Art, color, food, form in a way to keep these memories always alive.
Human nature, their stories, and how they are defined in the world is the motivation, a simple glimpse…
There is always a different story waiting to be told,
emitting from total blackness, shading that adds depth to a story…
Memory Full…faded and cracked…
color in your day, translated to another dimension,
exploring the different horizons of creation,
plunging into this obscured backwater,
the chance to contemplate and reflect upon past,
a homage to the power of nature: the mountains, the sea.
Always learning by using my eyes,
observation is key…
By encouraging employees to showcase their creativity, it was not only a first domino that was pushed, but hopefully a long chain of successive events where we can further promote our people’s originality.
Special thanks to our contributing artists:
Florent Baheux, Johan Lucas Bessling, Jordi Closa, Cuber, Melissa Gallagher, Alan Hay, Phoebe Heess, Marius Jung, Lars Kampf, Timon Kuhlenkamp, Franzi Loeffelmann, Jeff Metal, Ana Maria Gutierrez Nsue, Lova Ratsimandresy, Joe Stothard, Oliver Unnasch, Matthias Walter, Adrien Wira, Chiara Wu
I agree. It's always fascinating to combine the inside and the outside of the office to gain a new perspective. The initiative created room for interesting talks and new connections between different kinds of people - the pure power of creativity.
Best,
Nina