The aesthetic critical philosophy e.g. The Frankfurt School, have emphasized the liberating power of the aesthetic sphere. Their starting point is a critique of modern civilization as repressive, due to its roots in the capital system, and thereby in the economical premises and terms – those being among other: rationality, efficiency, duty and discipline.
The aesthetic sphere on the other hand, which is found in a concentrated form within Art, is based on sense, emotions and delight, and Art thereby represent a dimension, where one can escape the repression of modern civilization based on the economical premises. But The Modern Art system can be understood as exclusive and exclusionary, due to the establishment of the autonomy of the arts and the art genius. In Fiction Pimps, though, we work with what one could call a democratization of the Art, in that potentially everyone are invited to experience the aesthetic enrichment. We place the art experience on the stages of everyday life. We wish to integrate art and the possibility to participate in art or in spaces based on the aesthetic premises outside The Art System. Our idea is that everything can be fiction pimped. The business organization appears to be an obvious context to be fiction pimped – A territory full of potential to be explored and unfolded. Using Art in a business organizational context can be understood under the term and concept Arts-in-Business. Bringing arts into a business organizational context is though not without challenges – both practical and value oriented: One could ask if: the employees are able to live ‘their aesthetic, sense-oriented and emotional self’ while being within their working space. Or one could ask whether ‘the capital’ isn’t just exploiting and using the aesthetics to become even more powerful – having the exact opposite effect of the one of ‘harmonising’ a society build to intensely on economical premises, by instead strengthening the economic/capital system.
However, this is only true if the only purpose of the capital systems is profiting. However these times have passed. With parameters such as CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and CSI (Corporate Social Innovation) other values and bottom lines are introduced in business organizational context. And with a capital system that is opening itself towards the art and aesthetics as in Arts-in-Business a whole new approach is on its way. As the prominent business consultant Magaret Wheatley argues:
“Well capitalism is in deep trouble … Global capitalism is all about the flow of money and about the complete disconnection of people … Decisions are made only on behalf of very short-term profit, or how we can make money this instant … it is not about sustainability, it is not about building for the long term, and it has been completely disruptive and destructive for human communities everywhere … I do not see any future for capitalism in its current form … We really have got to focus on the human side of it now, if we are going to make any changes.”
Movements like Arts-in-Business, fiction pimping and the visions of House of Futures are currently challenging the capital- and art system of our day. Every system contain the ability to transform to something else – Something else where e.g. aesthetic engagement and enrichment is an available choice for everyone interested – and where this new modus can possibly change individuals, organizations, societies – the world – and hopefully into something better, something more harmonic and sustainable, something richer, more creative and clever. The world is full of unfolded potential. Our aim is to unfold it.
