http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 Consultant for the Higher Academy of Happiness. Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:25:56 +0000 a-n rss generator a-n The Artists Information Company and contributors edit@a-n.co.uk technical@a-n.co.uk http://sites.a-n.co.uk/img/logo.gif http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 I still have to organise my work experience placements. The research brief is to identify key criteria for the Academy's Happiness in the Workplace Awards. I need to get back to basics on how work is defined. My balloons and banner are packed.More details here - http://www.crir.net/ I'm really excited about the Academy's work - and this feels like a critical assignment. But I want to hold on to my own inquiry into the work/life balance.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 Emmerik met me at the Metro with his bike. He put me and two suitcases in the front and began a guided tour of Christiania. The three wheeled bikes are a Christiania design. They don't move - they glide. He stopped when a man came running after us with a jacket that we'd dropped. It turned out that the man and his girlfriend had nowhere to sleep that night, so Emmerik gave them his bed for the night. My apartment is lovely and I have an internet connection so that I can listen to Radio 4 if I miss home. Early investigations revealed that the jazz club in Christiania is excellent - although is that because of the international jazz festival that's on in Copenhagen at the moment. I have never seen a kora player doing jazz improvisation before.A day of rest and settling in yesterday.Today I begin the process of MBWA - a strategy I came across a few years ago now in a large multinational corporate organisation. It means Management by Wandering Around. It reflected  the idea that moving around was an important way of connecting with people, of getting into conversations that might lead somewhere new. The buildings were designed to encourage this with small refreshment stopping off points. I will wander through this community and see what happens.I also need to make a map of the area and start a list of all the work I see taking place here. I will then be able to draw up a shortlist for potential work experience placements.There are no petrol vehicles allowed here - but a van has just gone by which must be the exception. It must be bin day - I need to check where to leave my rubbish. The van is covered in graffitti. On the side it says 'The Dirty Bastards'. I will add them to my list of potential placement opportunities.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 The research begins with something like being an anthroplogist and being in this Utopian community in a way that helps me to work out what the rules and codes of behaviour are. I don't know if I'm dressed properly to go fully native. There have been lots of participant observation studies in the past where sociologists have fully entered the life of the community to get the insider story. That could be tricky in just three weeks.Yet already I've felt the jarring as I staggered back from mainstream Copenhagen society yesterday and crossed safely back into the Christiania enclave. It reminded me of the citizen's jury work I did with the three year olds in England.They made a story to make into shadow puppet theatre. The story began with a balloon going to flying school for the first time. The balloon was very nervous - so what happened? Well the children decided to call the balloon Mingo. There was one helium-filled balloon outside the window, alone and outside - that was Mingo they decided. Now this was strange, because truly as we looked at Mingo - and this is the only time this happened - the string came loose and the balloon flew away.Oh no! Where's Mingo gone?! Well. Mingo, they decided had gone to B&Q. Why? To buy some happy colours. They made a list of colours for Mingo to buy. And then? Well Mingo went to Asda. Why? To buy some happy food. Mingo was tired then and came to the flying school with all the bags of shopping.Then all the other balloons were so happy to see Mingo with these presents that they wanted to be Mingo's friend, which made Mingo happy. The Happy Ending. When I played back the story to the children the following week I just wanted to check if there were any other happy places Mingo might have gone. The beach or park? No he might burst there or drown. He'd go to Pound Stretcher!!Do children hold a mirror up to the world? Denmark is the third happiest country in the world. There was a lot of shopping going on. It all seemed like hard work to me. It was good to get back to normality.To Be Continued. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 The work I am doing on this artist residency is complex. I have no job description and as this is a Utopian community I am free to do what I want. But hold on - the kind of work that the Academy wanted to do, and their intentions, were made clear in the proposal. So that forms the beginning of a social contract. I need to follow that don’t I?   The proposal began like this: “Current debates about our economic and social well-being, and about the work-life balance raise important questions about how we define well-being, how we define good work and how we can better organize places where we can work well. The philosophy, values and daily life of Christiania would offer significant insights on how work can be framed, about the status, value and exchange rates connected to our labour, and about job satisfaction and reward systems in the workplace.   The proposal from the Higher Academy of Happiness focuses on research needed to establish criteria for our Happiness in the Workplace Awards, using Christiania as a case study and a model of practice.”   So there we have it – the Academy arranged for me to be here for three weeks to conduct action research using art practice as a way of finding out about and making sense of the questions they need to know the answer to. Good questions? Yes. Will I find a good answer? I don’t know. Sometimes I’m not even sure how to define the work an artist does or the best conditions to do that work. It keeps shifting. I think the Academy would like me to make something and take a picture of it though. I need evidence.   I have been reading some of the key texts around work and organization today. My initial work utilizing the MBWA strategy (Management By Wandering Around) produced some good results and I have a long list of the work I notice going on here. However the central concern for business schools currently is leadership.   Artists I think have a lot to offer to the leadership debate. I am considering introducing a new concept during this residency. The LBLD strategy. Leadership By Lying Down would evidence critical incidents of overwork that I notice going on around me.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 Today I began to imagine what it's like to stand in the shoes of people working in Christiania.These are the shoes of Ingrid who works in the art gallery. She has four pairs of shoes with her at all times to respond to different aspects of her work. She has tiny feet and beautifully pedicured painted toenails. She first lived and worked in Christiania in 1972. She is very proud of the new linoleum that has been put down on the kitchen floor. She feels like cleaning it now.The gallery sells posters of all the work made by artists to advertise all of the events that have taken place in Christiania over the last 37 years. Business men bring their corporate clients here for group talks and tours so that they can see how free-thinking Copenhagen is. I was reading today that aesthetic leadership is currently seen as a key concept for management studies, where aesthetic workers can provide critical insight on crucial concerns and alternative ways of thinking about problems and received wisdom. Perhaps I need to pay attention to my feet if I am to make a spectacle of myself. Visual communication is significant and accounts for over 70 per cent of the messages and therefore assumptions formed at reception. In one piece of organisational research I carried out, on equal opportunities and the distribution of power, the women - particularly in administrative or 'support' roles - power-dressed very carefully. Fridays were dressing down day which seemed to be even more of a challenge. They worked really hard at being taken seriously. A well accessorised suit and a manicure could set just the right toneThe dress code appears very relaxed here but the devil is in the detail. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 I have become unclear on how I am defining work. Allan Kaprow would be proud of me, as the art/life boundaries are very blurred. In action research Judi Marshall refers to this as living life as inquiry - which can pose real problems for the artist's overdeveloped work ethic and the work/life balance.I begin to see all of the ways people here encounter each other as contributing to the social and cultural capital of the community. I wish I could speak Danish. When they can't find the right word to describe Christiania they hold their arms to form a circle, like an embrace.The Greenlanders are the only ones here allowed to have their own house. I think the Inuit are to Denmark what the Native Americans are to the USA, with the same legacy of social disintegration and health problems. When I worked with the 'rootless' in the past it was called community care, but felt more like social cleansing. We were paid of course, even though it wasn't very much.I slept badly last night. I started reading fairy tales by Hans Christian Anderson before i went to sleep and I blame it on him. Dark stuff! He's a national icon now but unhappy in his life - rejected by conventional society in Denmark at the time because of his low beginnings. The national symbol of Denmark is the swan. Christiania is full of ugly ducklings.I reworked some of Christiania's symbols yesterday. I embellished the Christiania flag which is red with three yellow dots, to connect our brands and develop a commemorative plaque that marks this collaboration on the Academy’s Happiness in the Workplace Awards. The backdrop is the woodstock outside where I am staying - every house has one, but I don't know who does all the hard work for the artist house supplies. I used it last night to make a fire in the woodburner. It's July but freezing. There is a special word in Danish - hygge - something like cosy, as a state of mind and a physical thing. It was very hygge.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 It was 14 days since she'd last seen Stansted Airport. 14 Days in the Utopian community of Christiania. Fourteen days of trying to work out what makes this place work. Does she know the answers yet? Hell no. Does she think she'll find them? Hell yes.I've had a difficult time getting hold of particular people I want to talk to - they seem to be away or too busy. Seeking them out has helped me get the lie of the land. It's a huge place. There's an inner city area - downtown Christiania you could say, the suburbs - which is where I'm staying, and the more rural countryside. The architecture, and the level of greenery and water, form a different feeling as you pass through each. I saw white swans.I've been interested in the Hans Christian Andersen stories. So I'm making a story about The Unhappy Swan as a tribute artist. In the philosophy of science it was quite a problem when a black swan came along. This is the problem of induction. In a past event that collected people's recipes for the good life, one person thought it could be YELLOW. A good sign that the corporate colours work well. I'm still not sure whether to give the story a happy ending or not though.I have to put out some more balloons soon. First of all I thought the ones I put there were burst. Then I realised they'd been taken. So now I'm feeding the habit, by replacing them each night. Slowly I will start to leave messages written on them to see if I can make a relationship.I've decided to have an exhibition in my apartment the day before I leave next week. I have to test out how the grapevine works to publicise it. Last night I found some songs on my laptop, like the Beach Boys - Good Vibrations and Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World.  I think they will set the mood. Along with Madness - welcome to the House of Fun. The right ambience. To see if art can make any sense at all. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 I have made a new friend. Rosa is a photographer from Chile who did an artist residency here and couldn't leave. She invited me earlier to go with her to Nirvana which is at the end of the road. But I want to be up early to go to breakfast at Woodstock, which is where and when the older Christianites meet to get down to business. Yesterday I met a Christiania cleaner. He used to be a journalist and photographer and now plays the blues. He'd cancelled his holiday because he was worried about what might happen in the communal toilets if he wasn't there to clean up after people. There can be problems in Utopia if people don't take responsibility for themselves. He does feel appreciated though, which is lucky because he doesn't get paid for it. I think there was an opportunity for a work experience placement with him, but I didn't pursue it. I need to do some work on analysing and interpreting my data for the Happiness in the Workplace Awards. I'm obviously keen to use the latest theories on social and cultural capital - especially since the World Bank are now on board. The literature on emotional intelligence will be useful too. My biggest concern though is that I stop myself talking about the social fabric as if it's a knitting pattern. Although weave and patchwork are tempting. I'm hoping to identify some of the emergent themes by Tuesday for the 'private view'. Although like most private views I won't be turning anyone away. That would be wrong. Today I was kindly offered a gallery space for the exhibition, which threw me into confusion. I decided though that the apartment used for the artist in residence would give  a better sense of place. I also met a guy today who did a residency here before me. He's well known here and invited people to come every week - but nobody came. That means if I get one person through this door I will have done well. Managing our expectations seems to be a significant issue in happiness. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 I wasn’t too happy yesterday. The Academy contacted me to ask for an environmental audit while I’m in Utopia. I have a ridiculous amount of things to do already. Do they realize I have to write every morning, do my Management By Wandering Around, be the visual sociologist, articulate the research data, organize the exhibition and wash my underwear? I can understand their interest. The Christianites could make a penthouse out of a brown paper bag. The self-build projects prove necessity is the mother of invention. One couple have added a new area to their house every time they have a new baby.  DIY is the practical outcome of the self-reliance ethos, and the Green Hall – an old military building - is a DIY paradise for recycled materials. A lot of the facilities are communal – like washing machines, and a communal bathing house powered through solar panels with a sauna. There are community gardening groups and most produce sold here is organic or fairtrade. They aim to recycle 90% of materials. Cans aren’t sold in Christiania. You pay a deposit on all bottles and people who need a bit of extra cash collect any left around. There’s a free clothes stall where people take what they no longer need for others to find and put to good use. Everyone rides the customised Christiania bikes – there are no vehicles allowed unless it’s for basic services. At night they don’t have street lighting so that you can see the stars. Luckily the crime rate is very low here. It’s green too, often uncultivated, with more birds and butterflies than I’ve seen for a long time. Nature makes room in Utopia for mosquitoes too. I got another six bites doing the environmental audit. I have been trying to catch up with my reading. I brought Nicolas Bourriaud’s Postproduction with me, and reading it reminded me that Tirvanija has ‘lots of people’ as one of the ingredients in his gatherings. I may not have one in mine. I continue to look at the key leadership concepts. Quiet leadership interests me as I’ve worked a lot with surround sound. John Cage said there’s always noise – the real skill is in the quality of the listening. There’s a lot in quiet leadership that is about building trust and setting standards, and sometimes quietly bending the rules. My next artwork may be about sustaining a dignified silence. Or not. The Academy aren’t paying me to do this. This is a labour of love and sometimes it feels unrequited. They could show more of an interest and be more supportive. It shows a lack of respect I think. What matters is that I deliver the goods. I am going to call in sick and go into Copenhagen. The Tivoli Gardens is the other place that Danish pleasure-seekers go to and tonight there is a firework show. I will eat fast food and live the high life. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 I contacted the Academy about the mismatch between what we’re doing in the research on establishing the Happiness in the Workplace Awards and my experience as their consultant – that the job was not meeting expectations. In Danish there’s a word ‘Arbejdsglæde’ meaning the joy and satisfaction an employee can achieve in carrying out their work. I can’t think of a word in English.  Anyway – to cut it short - I’m happy to say that we had an ‘aha!’ moment. But I’m not a whistle-blower – there’s no way I’d go public on this. Mutual trust and loyalty are part of the contract between employer and employee, embedded in employment legislation. I put my glad rags on and went to the Tivoli yesterday. Obviously a visual sociologist’s paradise. I got lots of material, including photos of the Tivoli Boys Guards with guns and uniforms parading through the gardens, and film of men who paid to hit a piece of metal with a sledgehammer that shot another piece of metal to the bell at the top. I felt bad for them when the bell didn’t ring. I did a couple of time and motion studies – one of rubbish collection and another on the carousel. Comparative studies provide rigour. I have a study lined up in Christiania for tomorrow – of the tourist guide (the Danish one to ensure I don’t understand a word). Laban is famous for dance and community choirs, but he studied the movements of workers in the munitions factories during the war to help management understand how labour could be productive. Christiania was originally an abandoned military installation. I’ve realised I worked eight hours overtime at the Tivoli. Did they know that would happen when they said a day off to enjoy myself was a good idea? I met someone here the other day who was part of the Christiania theatre company Solvognen. In 1974 seventy of them formed a Santa Claus Army, committing good deeds and invading a store to give away books to children. They were arrested. The store said it was the best publicity they'd ever had. He's now a bus driver and an artist. He has a Tivoli season ticket so that he can walk through there each day on his commute to work. Recently he was involved in an action about Guantanamo, all of them in orange, black hoods and singing Amazing Grace. I also met Henrik who's a painter who likes Picasso. But I’m running out of space so I’ll tell you about him tomorrow. I’ve found a supply of handy bags in the DIY store used for herbs and medicine I think. I’ll use those to encourage feedback at Tuesday's exhibition. Positive thinking is very important in Utopia, so I've decided to get one bottle of wine and one (large) bag of crisps for the private view. If no one comes I will feast on the leftovers as I pack to leave the next day.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248 My guide to Utopia yesterday was Morten. I paid him but I think he enjoyed it. I took 444 shots for the time and motion study for three pounds. Morten is comfortable with an audience, although it was his first time in about 30 years of being the subject. It gave me the chance to connect the work and the place, and work out how he felt about his job without any verbal exchange (he spoke Danish). I am conscious of the Hawthorne effect though, so I did the tourist tour last week to give my study validity. The evidence is conclusive. He’s happy in his work. All of his customers were happy too.  So let me tell you about Henrik who has lived here for over 30 years. He used to be an art teacher. People think he’s mad because he left his job to be an artist full-time. It’s not the Danish way. But he’d sold some paintings the day I saw him. The financial exchange validates him as an artist – that someone appreciates his work enough to pay for it. The sun was shining, he lives in a stunning location with good neighbours, and he has a beautiful studio. He worked very hard to build up to this point, but now he feels a rich man. Not much money, but rich.  I asked Henrik about how Christiania organises itself. No – it’s not a democracy – he thinks. There are 700 adults and all of them are leaders. So to him it’s more a system of anarchy and consensus. Everyone is creative in finding ways to express their opinions. He does poster projects sometimes on contentious issues, and he paints the big meetings so people can see what’s going on.The literature on leadership makes it obvious that you need people prepared to follow sometimes. Morten was a good leader and we followed him up the garden path quite happily. We were free to leave at any point, but we wanted to stay. We had our reasons.But now I must go. I have fifteen minutes left before my gathering. Posters, balloons and banner up. Feedback mechanisms in place for cooperative inquiry. Recording equipment set up. Nails manicured, uniform on but hair a little fluffy. Fluffy is not a good look for consultants.If no one comes I will pump up balloons for three hours.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/444248