Through a new vertical, Art&Found extended its services in 2017 to doing décor for commercial spaces. We took our first steps in this direction with co-working spaces, starting off with Mumbai based FundTonic, for which we conceptualized a theme and then curated a mix of art frames, wall murals and signages to give the place a unique character. In the second half of the year, we also collaborated with the global co-working space brand and world’s fifth-most valuable startup, WeWork, which launched in India last year as a joint venture with the Embassy Group. They approached Art&Found for curating contemporary artworks for their flagship hub in Bangalore – WeWork Galaxy.
Talking about the WeWork India association, Aditya Mehta, founder of Art&Found, says, “With WeWork, we had a very specific order because they have an in-house team of interior designers, creative directors, etc. They knew exactly what they wanted. Moreover, the eclectic nature of the WeWork’s team reflects in their choice of artworks as well, as they have chosen a wide variety of framed artworks.”
With our interview with FundTonic’s co-founder Sahil Shah, we started a conversation about how art in a workspace influences the people who work there and to continue that, we ask Aditya the same question. He says, “There have been studies that specifically talk about how art in co-working spaces enhances the motivation level of people working there. It works on a subliminal level to make you feel good. Also, one can always find inspiration in art and it’s great to be surrounded by it in your workspace.”
Aditya also feels that art can become a way for a co-working space to create its identity. “There has been a major proliferation of co-working spaces in India since the last year, and it’s only going to increase this year. And I think they all want to create their own unique identities, and art becomes a really good way to do that. In WeWork’s case, it’s an open space, and therefore, they didn’t commit to any one particular style. They chose a range of artworks including photography, graphics, collages, etc.,” he says.
There have been studies that specifically talk about how art in co-working spaces enhances the motivation level of people working there. It works on a subliminal level to make you feel good.
Words by Art&Found Team