How artist residencies in companies foster creative deviance and innovation

The article explores how integrating art into workplaces can drive innovation, using the concept of 'creative deviance' introduced by sociologist Robert K. Merton. It cites the case of Bonotto, a textile manufacturer founded in Vicenza in 1912 by Luigi Bonotto. In the 1970s, facing competition from Chinese imports, creative director Luigi Bonotto (grandson) invited Fluxus artists for a residency. The artists deconstructed textile machinery, producing unique fabrics that later inspired Giorgio Armani's deconstructed jacket. Current director Giovanni Bonotto says the artists gave them 'the glasses of creativity.' The article defines Art-Based Initiatives (ABIs) as interventions that suspend workplace norms to foster new thinking. It mentions Conexiones Improbables, a Spanish intermediary that ran residencies in 33 medium-sized companies, improving employee well-being across personal development, colleague relations, and societal interaction. In Italy, projects include Artificare, a collaboration between Ca' Foscari University Venice, IUAV, and M.A.C Lab led by Fabrizio Panozzo, which placed artists in Veneto SMEs. Resulting works include Valentina Furian's 'Mi aspetto sempre che diventi un vulcano' for Ugolini S.r.l and 'L'insettofono' by Gli Impresari with Cantiere Daniele Manin. Francesco Cascino's Arteprima also runs Art Thinking projects. The article concludes that art can change the world, having already done so in these contexts.