At Albright Special, we hope to inspire more conversations around corporate art collections and the added value of activating them to shape workplace culture and client relationships
We also love to see more people entering our industry, recognising the value that art brings to the corporate world.
We’re happy to share an article from recent Courtauld Institute of Art graduate, Laura Sovilla, providing a platform for her work.
Laura graduated from the MA Curation programme this autumn with a first-class honours degree. She explores the value of art collections with examples from companies like Deutsche Bank, Clyde & Co, and Brookfield Properties, and delves into the historical connection between art and business.
Introduction
Walking through the business districts of London today can feel like wandering through an open-air museum. The lobbies of many firms’ buildings in the City of London, Canary Wharf, and beyond are filled with impressive contemporary artworks and installations. But what we see passing by is often just the tip of the iceberg. Behind the glass facades of modern skyscrapers lie extensive and thoughtfully curated art collections.
The relationship between business and art is far from new. Long before museums even existed, businesses were collecting art. Renaissance and Baroque merchant-bankers first, and 19th-century industrialists then, were among the earliest collectors. Today, firms across all industries continue this tradition—only now, art has left the private palaces of the past to enter the skyscrapers of today.
Why Do Businesses Collect Art?
The art-business nexus can be traced back to the Renaissance time. Art served merchants, bankers, and guilds as a tool to express private interests, assert political influence, and promote social reform. A prime example is Felice Brancacci, a prominent silk merchant in 15th-century Florence. In 1424, he commissioned Masolino's workshop to paint a series of murals (specifically, frescoes) directly onto the walls of the family’s chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Carmine. The frescoes, while religious in nature, also served to highlight Felice’s thriving silk trade with the East. In one scene, two 15th-century men dressed in luxurious fabrics walk through the biblical episode, symbolising Felice’s business success and underscoring his political power.
By the early twentieth century and through the 1950s, art had made its way into modern offices, often to reinforce strict business etiquette. In 1952, Amy Vanderbilt, an expert in manners, dedicated a chapter to corporate culture in her Complete Book of Etiquette: A Guide to Gracious Living. She highlighted that “the great corporations invariably practice a most formal business etiquette. Their façade is imposing, they employ well-dressed, [and] receptionists soft-spoken […] usually they exercise considerable control over the behaviour and appearance of their employees” [1]. Featuring mainly portraits of top managers and decorative scenes displayed in boardrooms and private offices, collections reinforced these standards of conservatism and hierarchy in the work environment.
Today, the relationship between art and business has evolved significantly. The contemporary business landscape—marked by unpredictability, dynamism, and increasing globalisation— requires firms to adopt approaches that encourage discussion, creative thinking, and the relaxation of formalities. Corporate art collections are very much in trend, and not as decorative indulgence or status symbol décor—they offer tangible benefits and help achieve these organisational goals. Here are four ways how.
Making the Workplace a Better Place
For many, the daily routine of going to the office can feel burdensome and stressful, especially in the post-Covid era where remote work has made traditional office spaces seem less essential. In 2022/23, an estimated 875,000 workers were suffering from work-related stress, depression, or anxiety, resulting in 17.1 million working days lost [2].
But what if offices could offer more than just a place to work? What if they could enhance well-being and bring more enjoyment to both work and life?
In London’s modernist office landscape, art plays a transformative role. A thoughtfully curated art collection not only elevates the aesthetics of sterile office spaces but also transforms them into vibrant environments that boost morale, foster engagement, and support employee retention.
Art, as a reflection of personal experiences, brings a human touch to the data-driven business world, counterbalancing the rigidity of numbers and analytics. Corporate art collections are key in shaping human-centered business cultures that acknowledge the importance of employees' inner lives and value the full spectrum of their emotions. By bringing personal stories into the workspace, art encourages employees to feel, reflect, and connect empathetically.
A prime example is the law firm Clyde&Co, which has established a partnership with Perspective Project, a social enterprise working to tackle mental health stigma through the power of art and creativity [3]. The firm displays in its London office pieces from artists who have direct experiences with mental health issues and have used art as a means of recovery. These artworks promote conversations about mental health and increase understanding within the workplace, reinforcing the firm's commitment to the well-being of its employees.
Shaping Inclusive Business Cultures
One of the most impactful trends on firms’ sense of identity in the twenty-first century is the rapidly evolving composition of their workforce, known as workforce diversity.
Art collections play a significant role in shaping inclusive cultures that mirror this reality. By showcasing artworks from artists of various backgrounds and nationalities, businesses can ensure that their workspaces reflect the diverse perspectives and experiences of their employees, clients, and the communities in which they operate. By encouraging multi-perspectivism, businesses make people feel respected and valued, cultivating a culture where diversity is not only acknowledged but celebrated.
Take the sculpture Turning the World Upside Down III (1996) by British-Indian Artist Anish Kapoor at Deutsche Bank’s new headquarters at 21 Moorfields. This work serves as a powerful metaphor for the value of inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. The globe-shaped sculpture features a mirrored surface and concave design that distorts reflections. As you position your head within the sculpture, the world appears to spin and invert, symbolising how different individuals perceive the world in unique ways. This artwork underscores the enriching potential of embracing diverse viewpoints, not only in broadening our understanding of the world but also in fostering relationships and improving workplace dynamics.
The Deutsche Bank UK Collection comprises around 5,000 artworks. The artworks displayed in London feature over 100 artists from over 27 different nationalities, 49% of whom are women, transgender, or non-binary, and 48% are people of colour [4].
Boosting Productivity Through Creativity
According to modern corporate philosophy, businesses are living organisms that value people as assets [5]. Within the fiercely competitive contemporary landscape, the success of a business is determined by its virtuous communication system and ability to find the best solutions to problems by being creative and innovative. This ultimately depends on its employees' ability to display such qualities. In environments where tasks can become repetitive or alienating, art inspires and encourages employees to think outside the box.
Consider the artwork Cutting the Gordian Knot (2003) by British artist Keith Tyson in the Deutsche Bank UK Collection. The work refers to the metaphor of the Gordian knot, an ancient symbol of seemingly unsolvable problems. Legend has it that even Alexander the Great couldn’t untie it when the success of his reign in the city of Gordion hinged on resolving the challenge. Instead, he famously cut through it. Similarly, Deutsche Bank employees may discover creative and bold solutions to contemporary challenges. Today, the Gordian knot symbolises complex problems that often require tailored and unconventional approaches.
Making a Difference – Firms’ Social Impact
ESG reflects firms’ desire to make a positive impact through environmental sustainability, contributions to socio-cultural development, and transparent, ethical business practices. By sharing their art collections through exhibitions and engaging in cultural initiatives, businesses can actively make a social impact by contributing to societal growth and enrichment.
This practice has notable precedents. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, John Pierpont Morgan, founder of the United States Steel Corporation and J.P. Morgan & Co., recognised the revolutionary potential of art and the responsibility of business leaders to contribute to socio-cultural development. As Morgan helped shape the U.S. economy from an agrarian society into the world’s leading industrial power, he made efforts to ensure his vast art collection was publicly accessible [6]. He even considered displaying it in the subway, as humorously illustrated in a 1912 vignette.
A contemporary example of this philosophy is the 5&20 exhibition (14 May–26 September 2024), free and open to the public at Brookfield Properties at 99 Bishopsgate [7]. Organised in partnership with the Crafts Council Collection, the exhibition also celebrated five years of the Brookfield Properties Craft Award for excellence in contemporary craft. Over 30 objects, many unseen for years, were showcased, including works from the five award-winning Artists. This show demonstrates how businesses can integrate cultural advancement into their objectives while expanding the opportunities for public art appreciation.
Moreover, by supporting and showcasing contemporary and emerging talents through acquisitions, exhibitions, and awards, businesses play a role in diversifying the art world. In doing so, they help shape a cutting-edge cultural landscape that reflects the complexity and vibrancy of today’s society.
Conclusion
Corporate art collections are far more than just decorative; they are investments in people, culture, and society.
A thoughtfully curated collection and its organisation are closely related and mutually influential. While the ambitions and identity of a business determine the art it acquires, the art, in turn, supports the organisation in pursuing its ideals by providing a constant and inspirational presence.
For firms looking to engage more deeply with their employees, clients, and the world around them, starting an art collection is a compelling and meaningful step. Through art, businesses can make a lasting impact that transcends profit margins and enriches their employees’ lives and the cultural landscape for everyone.
Bibliography
- Amy Vanderbilt, Complete Book of Etiquette: A Guide to Gracious Living (New York: Doubleday & Company, 1952): 177.
- Health and Safety Executive, Health and Safety at Work: Summary statistics for Great Britain 2023 (London: HSE, November 2023), https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/hssh2223.pdf.
- Clyde&Co. Art. Accessed November 5, 2024. https://country.db.com/uk/art/the-uk-collection.
- Deutsche Bank, The UK Collection, accessed November 5, 2024, https://country.db.com/uk/art/the-uk-collection.
- Gary Hamel, Leading the Revolution (Cambridge: Harward Business School Press, 2000): 23.
- Jean Strouse, Morgan: American Financier (New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1999): 507.
- Crafts Council, 5&20 and Halima Cassell: Celebrating Exceptional Contemporary Craft, accessed October 28, 2024, 5&20 Contemporary Craft Exhibition (craftscouncil.org.uk).
Images
1. Masolino da Panicale, St. Peter Healing a Cripple and the Raising of Tabitha, 1424-1428, fresco, Brancacci Chapel, Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence.
Image source: Wikipedia. Accessed September 18, 2024.
2. Anish Kapoor, Turning the World Upside Down III, 1424-1428, stainless steel, Deutsche Bank Headquarters, London.
Image source: Photo by author
3. Keith Tyson, Cutting the Gordian Knots, 2003, mixed media on paper, Deutsche Bank Headquarters, London.
Image source: Photo by author
4. Maurice Ketten, Why Not?, published in The New York Evening World (New York, 1912).
Image source: Strouse, Jean. Morgan: American Financier. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 1999: 53.
5. Display view of the 5&20 Exhibition (14 May – 26 September 2024), Brookfield Properties, 99 Bishopsgate, London.
Image source: Photo by author
Laura Sovilla, Bio
Laura Sovilla is a London-based Art Historian and Curator, currently working as an Art Researcher at HENI.
Laura is a 2023/24 MA graduate in Curating from The Courtauld Institute of Art, where she specialised in Corporate Art Collections with her dissertation titled: “Collecting and Curating Corporate Art: How Financial Institutions are Shaping the Art World.” The text analyses contemporary corporate collecting practices in London and their broader socio-cultural relevance. For her research, she has collaborated with curators from leading corporate collections and artists in London.
Laura also holds an MA in Art History from the University of Vienna, Austria, where she specialised in the Italian Renaissance and the History of Art Collecting. She obtained her BA in Art History and Literature from the University of Trieste, Italy.
Most recently, she co-curated the exhibition Good Morning, Midnight at The Courtauld Gallery (25 May– 7 July 2024).