ESCP and the Galeries Lafayette group are committed to supporting artistic and entrepreneurial creation by launching an "Improbable" Chair. Providing access to creation by bridging the worlds of art and entrepreneurship is the stance taken by these two institutions with deeply entrepreneurial DNA.
On Tuesday, March 19th, Léon Laulusa, Dean and Executive President of ESCP, Jean-Stéphane Arcis, President of the ESCP Foundation, Philippe Houzé, Chairman of the Management Board of the Galeries Lafayette group, and Guillaume Houzé, Brand and Communications Director, Galeries Lafayette group, signed the first Chair dedicated to artistic and entrepreneurial creation.
The Improbable Chair, named after an innovative pedagogical approach called "Art Thinking," originated in France within the walls of ESCP, the prestigious European business school. This methodology borrows from the practices of contemporary art to stimulate the act of creation, aiming to create the improbable with certainty. An avant-garde pedagogy that has already trained thousands of students, entrepreneurs, executives, and employees worldwide, placing art and culture at the center of all creation. This bold approach is widely supported and shared by the Galeries Lafayette group.
The Improbable Chair is the first structure to strengthen the links between Art and Entrepreneurship by acting as an ambassador for the creative process. It supports creation by building bridges between artists and entrepreneurs, between businesses and cultural institutions, and between artistic creation and business strategy.
“The Improbable Chair is all about bringing together artists and entrepreneurs, linking art with business in a new way. It supports creative practices by connecting artists with entrepreneurs, businesses with cultural institutions, and artistic creation with business strategy. It encourages everyone to embrace the ‘improbable’ to think like creators. Through a unique method called ‘Art Thinking’, developed at ESCP, the Galeries Lafayette group and ESCP offer a way to support, encourage, and spread the act of creation, to make of the improbable and the unknown strong allies” said Guillaume Houzé, Brand and Communications Director, Galeries Lafayette group.
Taught for 15 years at ESCP, the "Art Thinking" methodology aims to provide an understanding of creation and place it at the heart of any career or path. It is taught during Improbable seminars: three-day training sessions that immerse participants in the role of contemporary artists to question and express a message through creation. Recognized and shared by major names in contemporary art such as the Centre Pompidou and certain Parisian galleries, this approach encourages participants to create together and gain insight into their daily challenges or business strategy through the prism of contemporary art.
Supporting scientific research aimed at better understanding creation practices and disseminating the Improbable pedagogy worldwide to teach the Art Thinking method are the main objectives of the Chair through research and development activities (scientific publications, doctoral theses and end-of-study papers, seminars bringing together researchers, artists, and creation experts), teaching, and events (conferences and workshops, exhibitions and openings, Improbable residencies).
“The creation of this Chair marks a historic moment for our institution. It reflects our unwavering commitment to innovation, creativity, and interdisciplinary dialogue" announced Prof. Leon Laulusa, Dean and Executive President, ESCP.
"This Chair translates the vivid link between the artistic approach and the entrepreneurship mindset, by celebrating the major pedagogic innovation based on the Improbable philosophy" added Jean-Stéphane Arcis, President, ESCP Foundation.
"Our initial conviction was simple: to make creation accessible to as many people as possible. To achieve this, we designed a method, Art Thinking, which characterizes how artists, entrepreneurs, and scientists go through the same stages to create: from giving to diversion, through destruction and drift. For 15 years, our Art Thinking seminars ("Improbable") have trained thousands of students, entrepreneurs, managers, and researchers in a dozen countries and about twenty universities and schools. With the Galeries Lafayette group, a company with a strong entrepreneurial DNA, our Chair combines theory and practice to amplify this approach and promote creators and creation in the broadest sense" said Sylvain Bureau, Professor, ESCP, Scientific Director of the Improbable Chair, Founder of the Art Thinking methodology.
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