Art Thinking Lounge: Practice of Value-Centric Innovation by JT D-LAB; photo: flap

Art Thinking Lounge

Debuted at the Ars Electronica Festival 2024 the Art Thinking Lounge is an engaging space for those new to Art Thinking – a methodology that encourages creativity, innovation, and dialog. Festival visitors were invited to explore and apply Art Thinking through hands-on exercises, discussions, artworks, and prototypes. The 2024 experience in Linz, Austria, is a starting point for Art Thinking Lounge pop-up events across Japan. 

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The Art Thinking Lounge is a collaboration between communication design and marketing solutions company Hakuhodo and the Ars Electronica Futurelab. The journey started with the Art Thinking ABC, an interactive installation by the Ars Electronica Futurelab that introduces visitors to the core principles of Art Thinking. This methodology encourages creative questioning, diverse perspectives, and open dialogue, aimed at fostering future-oriented solutions. The Art Thinking ABC showcases nine key concepts linked to applied projects, transforming abstract ideas into impactful solutions that drive social and technological progress. 

After exploring the Art Thinking ABC, visitors continued their journey with the Art Thinking Harvesting Tool, presented as nine postcards—each linked to one of the core concepts. These postcards guided visitors in exploring the Ars Electronica Festival through the lens of Art Thinking, encouraging them to reflect on how these principles influence the exhibits around them and how they might apply them to their own work and thinking. 

The Lounge also highlighted Hakuhodo’s Sei-katsu-sha methodology, also known as People Thinking – a human-centered approach to innovation focused on understanding societal needs. One of the key projects, “Rhythms of People,” invited visitors to collect and visualize the rhythms of the POSTCITY Festival grounds, capturing the interaction between urban spaces and individual behaviors. 

In addition, the Art Thinking Lounge featured the work of Yuima Nakazato, a designer blending advanced technology with traditional craftsmanship. As founder of the Fashion Frontiers Program, Nakazato’s sustainable haute couture challenges the norms of the fashion industry, using innovative materials that promote environmental responsibility and reimagine the future of fashion. The exhibition also included the work of other designers who won the 2023 Fashion Frontier Program, such as Hiroto Ikebe, Julia Moser, and Yu Kawajiri. 

Moreover, the Art Thinking Lounge also offered companies a platform to present innovative prototypes and receive direct feedback from visitors. Mitsubishi Electric showcased their “Re-Writing the Script of AI SPEC,” – a collaborative project with the Ars Electronica Futurelab, exploring ethical approaches to artificial intelligence, while Japan Tobacco displayed breathing tools designed to enhance emotional well-being through mindful breathing. These prototypes reflect the companies’ efforts to take a new standpoint on societal challenges. 

These projects were part of the Dialogue Breakfasts – curated sessions where company representatives, experts, activists, artists, and citizen scientists discussed the societal impact of their prototypes. These discussions aimed to generate ideas for how these innovations could contribute to a better future. 

Although the Art Thinking Lounge debuted at the Ars Electronica Festival 2024, it is not a one-time event. Due to the growing interest in Art Thinking across Japan, Hakuhodo and Ars Electronica plan to host pop-up events throughout the country to further extend the Lounge’s reach and impact. The Art Thinking Lounge invites participants to challenge the status quo, collaborate across disciplines, and collectively envision a better, more innovative future. 

Credits

Ars Electronica: Chiara Croci, Denise Hirtenfelder, Nicolas Naveau, Emiko Ogawa, Hideaki Ogawa
PARTNER: Hakuhodo