What is the Future of Art × Business? (Shu Yamaguchi × Kuniyoshi Sasō)

From December 7, 2020, a five-night webinar series titled "Nights of Imagining the Future Created by Art and Business" was held, hosted by Dentsu Art Hub, an internal Dentsu Inc. lab dedicated to "connecting art and business to envision a prosperous future." Each session featured dialogues and trialogues among powerhouses deeply involved in art and business from their respective standpoints, all conducted under "three keywords." The themes for these "fantasy talks," set in advance by the participants themselves, were enough to spark the imagination of the audience.
In this series, we aim to delve into the essence of art, the essence of business, and the grand theme of the future created by the "multiplication" of these two elements, as revealed through the webinars, from the unique perspective of our editorial team.

In this inaugural installment, we first unravel the purpose of these uniquely intriguing gatherings—which never cease to stimulate curiosity—by examining the dialogue between Shu Yamaguchi, known as an independent researcher, author, and public speaker, and Kuniyoshi Sasō, Chief Strategic Designer and representative of BIOTOPE.

Responsible Editor: Web Dentsu Inc. Editorial Department

"I believe Japan is the first country in the world to have completed its civilization" (Shu Yamaguchi)

"The economic growth rates of advanced nations have been on a steady decline since around 1960." Yamaguchi began his remarks with this observation. He argued that the "saturation of demand" predicted by Keynes over a century ago is now unfolding before our eyes. Yamaguchi continued: "As this happens, as I also showed in my recent book, the value of meaningful things will rise above that of merely useful things." Is that really the case? In places like America, inventions that exclaim, "Look what a useful thing we've made!" are driving the market, aren't they? Have the Japanese people, have Japanese companies, lost that level of ingenuity and ambition? Facing such anticipated criticism, Yamaguchi remained utterly calm.

Mr. Yamaguchi during the webinar

"If that's the case, how about considering this?" This leads back to his opening statement. Think about it: do we, as consumers, truly desire more convenient or useful things from the bottom of our hearts? "In other words, people and societies that have graduated from civilization begin to seek cultural value over civilized value."

"I think being able to satisfy yourself is actually pretty amazing" (Kuniyoshi Sasō)

"I believe the essence of the cultural act of 'doing art' is designing oneself," Sasō responds. "In a sense, it's a world of self-satisfaction. But don't you think it's actually incredible that you can satisfy yourself with something you've created?"

Mr. Sasō during the webinar

Saso's explanation continues. It's about creating something with your own hands, something you genuinely believe is good, based on your own thoughts, not on standards set by others, society, or a company. And then, there are people who are happy about it. When that chain reaction spreads, it's no longer just about self-satisfaction; it creates satisfaction within society. "There's absolutely no stress involved, and first and foremost, it's incredibly eco-friendly. You don't have to put in any unnecessary effort or labor." If it's for the sake of being valued by others, people won't shy away from any hardship. That, they believe, is the only and best way to achieve self-realization. Perhaps when freed from such a constricting mindset, people can grasp true happiness.

Tonight's Keywords (Part 1): "Cultural Consumption" and "The Artistic Life"

Mr. Yamaguchi explained these somewhat complex keywords in simple terms. He said that the act of cultural consumption—the pursuit of cultural value—is composed of three elements: creation, play, and communication. "Put another way, it means creating the script of your life with your own hands, directing it yourself, and then sharing it with someone or with society."

Mr. Sasō predicts the same trend, stating, "The transformation of life into a work of art will advance further." What's fascinating is their shared observation: "The essence of art lies not in works emerging as a result of pursuing self-realization, but in the process where self-realization takes shape through the works that are created." Works born from thoroughly confronting one's inner self. These works create resonance and harmony with others, sometimes swelling into social phenomena. This may sound somewhat philosophical, but such mechanisms undoubtedly underlie the phenomenon of information diffusion on social media, or the corporate strategies of what are termed the "winners" of this era.

Shu Yamaguchi (Independent Researcher, Author, Public Speaker)
Born in Tokyo in 1970. Independent researcher, author, public speaker. Engaged in strategy formulation, cultural policy, and organizational development at Dentsu Inc., BCG, and others. Author of Why Do the World's Elites Cultivate an Aesthetic Sense? and Philosophy as a Weapon. Graduated from Keio University's Faculty of Letters, Department of Philosophy, and completed the Master's Program at its Graduate School of Letters. Resides in Hayama Town, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Tonight's Keyword (Part 2): "Original Companies" and "The Artistification of Business Professionals"

Mr. Sasō was the first to question the ideal of the "Original Company" – an image every company in this era likely aspires to be. "I myself once worked for a market-in company. Focusing intently on the market means striving for extreme objectivity, which I believe is the exact opposite of being original." Focusing on the market means analyzing "what consumers want us to do." In contrast, Sasō defines an original company as one that asks, "What do we want to do? What should we be doing?"

Yamaguchi's critique is even more scathing. He points out that the very act of asking, "How can we demonstrate originality in this market?" is already a mindset dependent on others (other companies), making it difficult to call it original.

Originality is ultimately something recognized by society as a result; it doesn't arise simply from wishing to be original. At the core of original thinking lies a "speculative and critical stance." This stance reveals the essence of the challenges we currently face, leading to problem-posing actions. Such an artistic stance is inherently subjective. Only companies possessing discernment and conviction about "what is beautiful and what is good," including ethical values, can truly be called original enterprises. Their argument is drawing ever closer to the core of "Art × Business."

Kuniyoshi Sasō (CEO / Chief Strategic Designer, BIOTOPE Inc.)
Graduated from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law. Completed a Master of Design Methods at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Handled marketing for hit products like Febreze and Lenor at P&G, then served as Brand Manager for Gillette. After working at Human Value Inc., he was involved in launching Sony Corporation's company-wide new business creation program (Sony Seed Acceleration Program) before becoming independent. Specializes in brand design for B2C consumer goods, concept design for high-tech R&D, and service design projects. Author of: 'The Future Can Change with One Person's Imagination: VISION DRIVEN INNOVATION', 'Thinking Methods that Bridge Intuition and Logic: VISION DRIVEN', and 'Why Design Thinking is Essential for 21st Century Business'. Adjunct Associate Professor at Tama Art University. Associate Professor at Shizenkan Graduate University.

Tonight's Keyword (Part 3): Envisioning Future Business

While captivated by the two speakers' conversation, the author began to grasp the essence of this evening gathering. A society seeking civilizational values has systematically "crushed" every problem in this world. Consequently, especially in developed nations, the most common problems have been nearly eradicated. Inevitable, the remaining problems become extremely trivial, extremely naive, and extremely personal. This is the phenomenon known as the diversification of values. Many companies find themselves at a loss here. But, upon closer reflection, isn't this the very essence of "art"?

Mr. Yamaguchi states, "Soon, an era will arrive where the distinction between labor and recreation (leisure) disappears. Or perhaps it's already here." This means that work itself becomes the reward. Neither those providing labor nor those receiving it desire money or services as compensation for labor. They provide and receive what they themselves deem good, beautiful, or desirable. People become captivated and fulfilled by the "cultural value" gained from this. "I believe the value lies in that very process," concluded Mr. Sasō. His final words instantly amplified anticipation and imagination for the upcoming night gathering.

This series is an original edit by Web Dentsu Inc., supervised by Kentaro Kasama (President, Arts & Brands Inc.), organizer of the webinar titled "A Night of Imagining the Future Created by Art and Business."

Event Confirmed! Online Talk Event
"A Night of Imagining the Future Created by Art and Business: ART PUB NIGHT #1"

Organized by: Dentsu Art Hub / Art Hub Association (General Incorporated Association) Sponsored by: Arts & Brands Inc.
 

Date & Time: Wednesday, April 28, 2021, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
(Zoom webinar will open 10 minutes prior)
Participation Fee: Free
Format: Zoom Webinar
Registration: Limited to the first 500 registrants per session.
　Register here. (The secretariat will send you the viewing URL)
Application Deadline: Wednesday, April 28