What is Art Thinking?
Art Thinking is an approach that applies a set of artistic principles and practices to entrepreneurship and management. Ranked among the top 10 educational innovations worldwide, it is described as "a disruptive method tailored to a world in transition. It encourages participants to step out of their comfort zones, challenge established norms, and reinvent their strategies and business models."
The module aims to foster a "sustainable innovation capacity" in students by drawing on practices from the worlds of art and creativity. The programme invites participants "to innovate through artistic practices while questioning established norms. Students are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones and adopt subversive methods to transform their mental frameworks, enabling them to become leaders capable of navigating a constantly evolving world," explains Fiammetta Cascioli Karivalis, Director of the Master of Science in Business Transformation for Sustainability at KEDGE Business School.
Inside an Art Thinking session
Over three intensive days – 30 students from the Master of Science in Business Transformation for Sustainability took part in the inaugural edition of this seminar. It was led by visual artist Pierre Tectin (co-creator of the Art Thinking method) and Fiammetta Cascioli Karivalis (Director of the MSc at KEDGE).
The seminars consisted of intensive small-group creative workshops, interspersed with critical feedback sessions and lectures on diverse themes. The prestigious school also hosted an exhibition of the works created by the students , judged according to criteria of “improbability, embodiment, efficiency, and subversion.”
Student's testimonials
This workshop was a very good introduction to our MSc. I found this method to be particularly innovative in terms of setting up a project. It presents a creative approach that integrates the collective and the sharing of ideas. Personally, I learnt to think about and construct a committed work by following a creative process that I had never experienced before. This approach has been transposed back into several of the projects carried out during this master's degree, allowing me to reflect throughout the project and achieve results that were initially unforeseen. Soon, we've decided to apply this method to the implementation of our consultancy project with a major French association. I've taken a lot of positive things away from it and I intend to use it in my future professional projects, including a potential career as a Human Resources and CSR Director, which I aspire to.
Concepts like Donate, Destroy, and Drift helped me make sense of personal experiences, such as the importance of generosity in building connections and the power of letting go to rebuild something better. It reaffirmed that my instinct to give and adapt isn’t just natural, it is a strength I can consciously use to foster trust and creativity in my work and studies.
More than anything I realized how those practices have always been part of my life, even before I could articulate them as concepts. I’ve realized that giving selflessly is at the heart of how I build relationships and therefore trust. I consciously realized that destruction is not a loss but more of a necessary step to innovate and create something better, a realization that deeply resonates with my recovery from a past illness. Drift, on the other hand, has taught me to embrace the unknown, to welcome spontaneity and change, and to see them as opportunities for growth and innovation.
These practices aren’t just abstract concepts, they actually are tools I now use with intention!
Doing a workshop related to Art as part of a business course initially seemed unusual, even bizarre, but ultimately, its value was clear. For me, this workshop was a fast track to visually reimagine and challenge the status quo. It shifted my existing linear problem-solving approach, teaching me to strategically plan or adapt based on available resources and strengths instead of rushing to solutions. We were encouraged to deviate from the current thought processes and create ‘improbable’ design-driven innovations that challenge the market norms. The workshop also emphasised the dynamics of teamwork, aiming for ‘group flow’, where the team moves through different stages of ideation while maintaining constructive dialogue. Thanks to this workshop, there is now a newfound sense of confidence when it comes to tackling new ambiguous challenges. It has also shifted my perspective on leadership and innovation as I now strive to ‘welcome improbable encounters’ and move beyond the ‘probable’ to envision viable sustainable solutions for modern-day business challenges.
MSc Business Transformation for Sustainability
Winner of the Eduniversal 2024 New Programme Launch Award, the MSc Business Transformation for Sustainability redefines interdisciplinary learning to reshape the organisations of tomorrow. Graduates will gain the expertise and skills to excel in diverse fields, including environmental management, international business, and sustainable development. Be part of the journey toward a sustainable future!
