Existentially speaking, while Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s bright optimism about human’s inherent goodness is perpetually subdued by an overlay of bland hues of Thomas Hobbesian outlook, in the domain of art, the 19th century French slogan l’art pour l’art (art for art’s sake) continues to be disruptive. Meanwhile, artists continued their struggle for survival.
But, with the emergence of art as a social enterprise, art has almost resolved itself in a single stroke: in the new avatar, art is for art’s sake, even as it supports artists and positively impacts the society. Come to think of it, the rise of arts as social enterprises reflects a paradigm shift in valuing art and artists.
The gifted artists of Oman have long complained of a lack of proper appreciation for their works and financial insecurity, as the Sultanate doesn’t have a thriving art market. Art is still not recognised here as an investment. What can possibly transform this uninspiring canvas is the establishment of multiple art-inspired social enterprises.
In fact, Oman’s art world can learn much from successful art-based social projects such as the New York based Upstart Co-Lab, Toronto based BRANDAID and Artscape and numerous others. They have proved that it’s quite possible for artists to be financially empowered and to act as social change agents, even as they devote themselves to the soul of art.
Upstart Co-Lab brings together artists, industry leaders, and investors to solve social challenges, while BRANDAID supports artisans through powerful branding and marketing of their works that reflect the local culture and heritage.
BRANDAID’S Haiti project greatly succeeded in commercially marketing artworks and handicrafts created by underemployed local artists to global markets. Significantly, the project greatly focuses on highlighting the identities of the individual artists and craftsmen/women.
Artscape, on the other hand, is an urban development organisation that makes space for creativity so as to transform communities. As a cluster project, it engages artists in affordable real estate projects that can generate economic returns for artists, and create appreciable social, environmental and cultural impacts.
So far, Artscape projects have generated over $3.6 million in savings that have been passed on to artists and organisations. Its properties offer reduced rental rates for artists and not-for-profit organisations compared with rates charged by similar commercial spaces. Further, subsidies of up to $800,000 have been provided to not-for-profit organisations and community groups through own performances and event venue rentals.
Artscape properties function as community cultural hubs, and also serve as excellent workspaces for galleries and theatres and as well as live-and-work spaces for artists and their families.
There are art-focused social enterprises of different hues, but creative place-making projects such as Artscape hold great value for Oman, given the Sultanate’s renewed focus on developing tourism and the availability of fresh creative talent. They can be easily and successfully replicated here.
Oman can greatly enhance its tourism appeal by focusing on creative place-making projects that utilise the beauty and synergic power of art, culture and creativity to transform places. Such social enterprises can develop and run unique cultural facilities in Oman, such as community cultural hubs, multi-purpose creative spaces and artist live/work projects. They can also design and implement programmes and services that sustain artists and unleash their creativity.
Art-based social enterprises can redraw the contours of Sultanate’s future, because they recognise the significance of creativity as the key driver of not just growth but social change too.
Art has long held a central space in the Sultanate, and several organisations use art to celebrate diversity and promote message of peaceful coexistence. The next phase of growth in Oman’s arts domain could be defined by powerful art-centred social enterprises.
To sum up, what art-based social enterprises declare is this: True to its fluid aesthetic soul, art can be for art’s sake, even as it can effortlessly blossom into a social enterprise with a clear set of economic and social objectives without compromising the purity and sublimity of art. What else can we aspire for?
As a side note, it’s going to be exciting times for cruciverbalists, as a neologism that reflects all this could be in the making!
T V SARNGA DHARAN NAMBIAR
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