Issue 57: A Bulletin for Big Ideas and Better Business

OPINION/ INSPIRATION

Artists look to nature for inspiration. Business should do the same

💬 Sir John Hegarty

The oldest animal painting that we know about was discovered in 2021 by a group of scientists in Sulawesi, an island in Indonesia. The image is a pig with a large bulbous body and a tiny head. It appears to be depicted covered in hair, and – possibly – in the midst of a small prance. Researchers reckon the pig is 45,500 years old.

It makes sense that our prehistoric creativity was nature-inspired. Our species has always found deep encouragement from the natural world. In fact, there’s a word for the notion of art imitating life: mimesis. The dictionary definition is ‘imitative representation of the real world in art and literature’. It might be the oldest form of creativity on record. But while the arts are great at using animals, plants, trees, mountains, waterfalls and people as stimulus, business appears to have less to learn from the planet’s physical phenomena.

Artists look to nature for inspiration, businesses should do the same

I think we should re-examine this. Nature has clear lessons for creative companies. Take design as one field. The greatest practitioners know that nature is the best designer, pinching its approaches yields great results. For instance, The Gherkin in London owes its form and structure to a sea sponge called the Venus flower basket. It’s supported internally by a network of little spikes that allow it to withstand the pressure of the deep.

Then there’s resource management. In natural ecosystems – on land or sea – nothing is wasted. And finally, for the business of communications, nature is the greatest attractor. It understands how to motivate, move and incentivise – something that many in the world of brands have forgotten how to do. Leonardo da Vinci said it first (and best): “Nature is the source of all true knowledge. She has her own logic, her own laws, she has no effect without cause nor invention without necessity.” If prehistoric artists understood the importance of nature, then modern business ought to grasp it too.

THE AGENDA

🗓️ Diarise this: your agenda for the coming week

1.
The BRIT Awards returns in all its pop-tastic glory this week. Performing this year are Shaboozey and Lola Young — chart-toppers beloved by Gen Z but likely unfamiliar to anyone over 21.
1st March

2.
The world’s glitterati will be selecting fits for Paris Fashion Week. The hottest tickets this season are Sarah Burton’s debut show as creative director of Givenchy and Haider Ackermann’s first collection at the helm of Tom Ford.
3rd March

3.
French cinema’s grande dame Catherine Deneuve will preside over this year’s César Awards. Leading the nominations of the country’s top film honours are an adaptation of literary epic The Count of Monte-Cristo and Gilles Lellouche’s romantic drama Beating Hearts.
28th February

4.
A light installation featuring some 30,000 bulbs will be switched on by London mayor Sadiq Khan on Friday, marking the beginning of Ramadan. The decorations will be strung up across the West End, adding a touch of dazzle the last dark evenings before spring.
28th February

5.
Rio Carnival bursts into action on Friday, turning the city into a spectacle of colour, rhythm, and exuberance. Expect a week of jaw-dropping costumes, electrifying samba, and head-spinning parades.
28th February – 8th March

LOS ANGELES / FILM

With added AI bits: protagonist László Toth, ‘The Brutalist’
Source: thebrutalist.movie / A24 Films

AI-cademy awards

Stars of the big screen will be descending on Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on Monday for the 97th edition of the Academy Awards. The ceremony puts an end to a campaign season that’s been mired in controversy, mostly surrounding the use of AI in post production. Several Best Picture nominees have come under fire for their use of voice cloning software called Respeecher; used in The Brutalist to make Adrien Brody’s Hungarian accent more convincing and in mob musical Emilia Pérez to increase the vocal range of lead performer Karla Sofía Gascón. Cinephiles took to social media to voice their concerns, prompting the Academy to announce that it is considering a requirement to disclose AI use in films. The issue poses an important question for the future of cinema — is AI a useful tool to aid a filmmaker’s vision or does it simply cheapen the creative process? It’s a quandary than no-one is likely to have a definitive answer to very soon.

ON CREATIVITY /

Contributor: Clo’e Floirat

CUPERTINO / TECHNOLOGY

Participants in Apple’s PROPEL Center Arts & Entertainment Industry Accelerator, 2024
Source: apple.com

Apple feels Trump effect

Apple is holding its AGM today, with shareholders voting on various hot-button topics such as AI development and the protection of children online. Also on the agenda will be Trump’s directives to scrap DEI (‘diversity, equality and inclusion’) programmes. Apple is just one of many US companies that are being attacked by conservative activists for their DEI efforts, with the likes of Sephora and Delta also announcing they will not succumb to government pressure. In order for leading companies to continue to innovate, representation is key. Diverse workplaces foster creativity and allow topics to be addressed from all angles. Nevertheless, Apple appears willing to toe the Trump line in other areas. Last week CEO Tim Cook met with the president to discuss tariffs placed on foreign manufacturing and yesterday announced that it would be investing $500bn in creating new facilities in the US.

LONDON / CULTURE

Boost: includes £85m Creative Foundations Fund for venues
Source: gov.uk

New funding strikes a chord

The UK cultural scene looks set to receive a valuable boost thanks to a recently-announced £270 million funding package. The money will be distributed to museums, libraries, and heritage buildings through the newly launched “Arts Everywhere Fund”. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy also unveiled a new £85m Creative Foundations Fund aimed to keep struggling arts venues across the country up and running, a vital lifeline in a time when these institutions are shuttering faster than ever. Music is likely to be a grateful beneficiary. Last year the UK lost one grassroots music venue every two weeks – with nearly half making a loss. These performance spaces are essential for nurturing emerging talent and serving as community hubs. Without them, Britain risks not only losing a vital part of its cultural heritage but also its status as a global hit-making powerhouse.

The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.

/Francis Bacon