Art Collaboration for Tech Companies

Companies of all industries are engaging with art, and many of them have different motivations to do so.

Originally, art collaborations started with the fashion industry in 30s, but Tech and Science picked up the practice in the 60s. This started with Nokia Bell Labs, which was the most innovative scientific organization in the world during the 20th Century, with 29,002 patents filed by its employees. Bell Lab was also rich in multimedia art and electronic music.

At present, Nokia Bell Labs still holds art-in-residency program, and the collaboration with art movement has been joined by sundry companies and institutions, such as MIT, Facebook, Adobe, Apple, and more…Some of these companies work with art in Branding campaigns, while others use it to inspire innovation within ther teams. We will now give some examples of how companies focusing on Innovations and Tech can work with art.

Artist-in-Residence

Artist-in-Residencies are common and more advanced ways of working with art.

For example, MIT and Nokia Bell Labs have residencies that focus on the synergetic development and inspiration between scientists and artists. The purported goal here is for scientists to get new ideas and questions from artists, and conversely for artists to use new technologies and ideas from scientists toward new modes of art creation.

The Adobe company creates products for people in the creative industry, and therefore their Artist-in-Residence program helps them improve their products and find new roads for their own business development.

At Facebook, they like to have artists create installations around their offices worldwide, which allows them to underscore their company culture and inspire employees’ ideation.

In another case, we wrote previously about the Bernard Controls factory in Beijing, which holds an Artist-in-Residence program as part of its sustainability department. Such an art practice and engagement brings more value to the employees in the factory, whose very employment may be made redundant through the development of technology in the near future.

Art Lecture/Workshop

With more of a focus on internal team development, there are also companies that invite artists and lecturers to give talks or hold workshops on different topics related to art. These events can help their teams develop creative thinking, have team-building activities, and get up-to-date with new trends. of art. Apple also had an ad campaign featuring artists’ works on outdoor billboards that were then used as wallpapers for various devices during the Chinese New Year celebration.

Product Decoration

Apple often uses artists’ and Illustrators’ artworks as wallpapers for its products. Another example of this model is the James Jean & Oppo collaboration. In developing a limited edition product line exclusive to the Chinese market, the artist created unique artwork for the gadget’s exclusive interface, wallpapers, and themes that echo the brand’s design.

Events

Apple has a history of collaborating with local artists when opening new stores. For its new Milan store, the company launched an initiative with the slogan “What will you do tomorrow, Milan?”, asking 21 local artists and designers to imagine the future of the city.

Variations on artistic collaborations can only be limited by one’s imagination. Given the fast growth of and interest in art and culture, more and more companies will be inviting artists to create unique and limited products and experiences. Meanwhile, this kind of collaboration also helps people to engage in and develop their own creative thinking, which can further the innovations of the future.

Also, take the example of Apple: It organizes art and design lectures and workshops as part of its creative camp for kids and holds events in Apple stores around the world.

Art Campaign

Art campaigns can take many forms, such as through activities, advertising posters designed by artists, or social media campaigns, as Xiaomi did when it invited 10 artists to talk about their art in a series of video clips.

Some time ago, Apple launched its famous “Start Something New” campaign, which aimed to demonstrate the multiple ways its company’s products could be utilized for the creation.

Companies of all industries are engaging with art, and many of them have different motivations to do so. What’s yours?