A change of scenery in the workspace

Art as an aesthetic element can add stimulus, boost productivity and engage employees.

An increasing number of businesses and institutions are finding ways to integrate art in their office environs — within employee work areas, recreational rooms, customer interface locations and in outdoor spaces. Art as an aesthetic element is believed to add stimulus, boost productivity and engage employees at the workplace. It can often be the differentiator for interiors when most office spaces tend to be modular and have an off-the-shelf look, while instilling a sense of pride in the employees.

In such art collections, the emphasis is on original artwork that goes beyond posters and prints of motivational and branding material of the company. The art projects also offer a vital mode of engagement with local art communities, where interactions range from investing in young upcoming artists, providing a forum to display topical, social and culturally relevant subjects as well as organising art camps and other activities as part of their social responsibility initiatives.

Long history of support

Art patronage by banks, hotels, airlines, automobiles, tech giants and other large corporations is not new and in the West, it has a long history, where in the process of supporting the arts, significant art collections have come into existence. This trend has also been seen in our country, although it was perhaps limited to select corporations with art connoisseurs at the helm. It now appears to be growing in popularity with more organisations adopting a variety of art programmes, including collecting art.

There are companies that have huge art collections, for instance, Deutsche Bank is believed to have one of the largest corporate art collections in the world with more than 50,000 pieces, while in India, Air-India’s art collection is perhaps one of the most important collections of modern Indian art and the Taj collection is considered to be significant too.

Interestingly, most corporate art collections have been initiated from a social and cultural investment perspective, rather than a purely financial one. However with time, many have appreciated significantly in value, where the valuation of select works has shown substantial increment.

In the current scenario, there is a greater emphasis on investing in contemporary art, since price points are flexible and offer a wide range, while high-end art is often reserved for key areas where there is increased client interaction and hence, greater branding opportunities. The association with senior, established artists is also a part of branding and positioning strategy and is perceived as a way to impress clients and associates.

The choice of art in corporate spaces varies substantially, from bold vibrant pieces to calming abstracts, one sees a large spectrum. Paintings, sculptures, installations and even interactive kinetic pieces that respond to sensory stimuli can be found within the corporate buildings. Essentially, the top management or a designated art team tends to drive the art selection. However, in most cases, the selection is largely aimed at safe choices and non-provocative pieces.

Unfortunately, the art is limited to staff and visitors and remains away from the public eye, but there have been several instances when parts of collections have been exhibited in public galleries and museums, or have been covered in the media.

The author is a Bangalore-based art consultant, curator and writer. She blogs at Art Scene India and can be reached on [e-mail]

Dab Hand is your fortnightly art world low-down. It will tell you all about what fresh ideas are out there, what to collect and what to admire from afar. And, of course, what not to.