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Why art is a secret weapon in the battle to make businesses attractive — and productive Wellbeing in the workplace comes from many areas, and eye candy is one of them. PATRICK MCCRAE investigates for BV. IT WAS Florecnce Nightingale who recognised the positive impact of art on our physical and mental health 160 years ago — long before the term “wellbeing” had been coined. But the potential to harness the power of art to build more creative, productive workplaces is rarely discussed. The character of a workplace affects job satisfaction, motivation and mood — and art needs to become part of this conversation. Some may be sceptical of the claims, but the concept is supported by solid evidence. Doctor Oshin Vartanian, from the University of Toronto, has conducted research on the neuroscience of aesthetics and creativity. He found that art activates the brain’s default mode network — the area associated with original thinking — helping us to retrieve memories and think about the future, as well as engaging our pleasure and reward systems. In 2014, a survey of 7,000 employees for the Leesman Index, a comprehensive study
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of workplaces, found that one in two employees thought art was an important part of their workplace environment — but 85 percent were dissatisfied with the artwork in their offices.
Patrick McCrae Research by another doctor — Jenny Thomas, director of Performance Consultancy — found that while many organisations installed artwork in their reception areas or meeting rooms, few had introduced it to the main office. Seven out of 10 workplaces
had no artwork installed, and 95 percent of employees could not see any art from their workstation. Thomas conducted studies by changing sensory aspects of a workplace, including temperature and air movement, and providing access to a new “breakout” space. But — unsurprisingly, given the topic here — the biggest impact came from introducing artwork. Staff said they were more alert in the afternoons, avoiding the traditional post-lunch dip in concentration. They felt the art promoted social interaction. A study by the British Council For Offices in 2013 found that 61 percent of employees believed artwork inspired them to think and work more creatively. Research by ARTIQ suggested that people were 14.3 percent more productive in an art-adorned office. Art enables positive cognitive distraction and creates spaces that are active and connective. It engages staff and clients. It has this impact because it is innately human, encouraging the viewer
Art: a positive cognitive distraction that energises the viewer