Art Set by GAEP is a one-of-a-kind integrated visual arts service, locally developed in its entirety – 100% made in Romania. The platform, devised by the founders of GAEP contemporary art gallery, was launched this year, just 10 months ago.

“The project with GAEP brought fresh air into our work environment, generating curiosity and appreciation among our team members for the beautiful art, while giving visibility to the talented artists in our own local communities. This collaboration fits into our determination as an employer to encourage open-mindedness and a sense of belonging and supporting local communities,” says Plamen Penev, National Director, Kuehne+Nagel România.

The companies that have requested Art Set services mainly operate in Bucharest and Cluj, in sectors such as retail, consulting, transportation and logistics solutions, professional lighting, and design in workspaces. Their common requirements were art in the office and customized cultural experiences for both internal and external stakeholders.

“A key benefit of connecting business and art is corporate culture. The pandemic urged us to adapt to unforeseen socio-economic challenges, even we have always been prepared to cope with crisis situations. In this context, succeeding has to do with team cohesion, motivation and the importance of staying together in difficult times,” says Christophe Weller, CEO & Founder, COS Corporate Office Solutions.

Art Motivates Employees and Drives Productivity at Work 

A study from the UK shows that 61% of employees believe that art and artists inspire them to think and work more creatively. Moreover, 93% of participants in the survey Making Art Work in the Workplace, conducted by International Art Consultants in partnership with the British Council for Offices, agree that art makes space more welcoming to employees and visitors alike.

Răzvan Copoiu, CEO Signify România: “The art of light? Or art with light? What if you come to the office and feel like you’re working in an art gallery? Signify brings art and light together in its workplace. When we talk about organizational culture, we have an out-of-the-box approach, which helps us differentiate ourselves, emphasizing the values of our company. The collaboration with GAEP reflects the openness to embrace a new mindset – driven by creativity and agility – attributes that make us who we are and that also cross the company’s borders to partners. We invite our partners to step into a different kind of art venue, right in the offices of Signify România.”

In terms of performance, statistics show that employees who benefit from art in the office space work faster and do less errors than those in offices with no art. The productivity increases by 30% in offices enriched by art.

Art is also associated with wellbeing, a key concept of recent years in HR policies: according to international specialists, art reduces stress by up to 78%.

Andrei Martin, Medical Director and owner, Medispa Clinic Cluj: “The conversation around wellbeing started several years ago, but it has recently gained momentum because of the pandemic. Since 2005 we have been implementing in Romania the MedicalSpa concept, which means reaching a state of wellbeing, of feeling in one’s best physical and mental shape, both through cutting-edge medicine and through relaxation and personalized attention. The collaboration with GAEP brought colour into our clinic, in a literal sense. A space enriched by art becomes expressive, attracts and relaxes, which is important in our activity. We want our patients and clients, once they come to us, to feel that they are in a special place.”

How Art Set by GAEP Works

Companies have the opportunity to display works of art in a cost-efficient manner and to access various art-related activities which contribute to achieving business, employee and customer engagement objectives.

Károly Nagy, General Manager, Promelek XXI: “Our vision – to connect the future through quality electrical solutions and valuable partnerships – is embraced by our colleagues, who convey it to clients and business partners. Art Set reveals an innovative way to connect ourselves, as a team, to the future, thanks to the artworks displayed in our headquarters and the workshops designed together with Gaep. We aim to debate, in a completely new way, topics connected to business, such as environmental protection, as well as topics of interest to colleagues, such as the future of work. And we discover new sources of creativity within us, as art supports us in our own development.”

The most frequent requests from companies through Art Set this year were: 

• Temporary exhibitions: artworks shown for approx. six months at the companies’ headquarters to foster creativity and support the return of employees to the office after the pandemic;
• Seminars of organizational culture, held by multidisciplinary groups of experts – representatives of GAEP, artists, curators, cultural entrepreneurs, strategists in organizational culture – as tools to support programs and strategies for organizational transformation and a change of mindset;
• Guided art tours or private events at the gallery or in unconventional spaces.

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Art Set by GAEP is an integrated art solution for companies and their internal and external stakeholders. Responding to transformation and growth strategies, it contributes to strengthening reputation and brand value. With the aim of facilitating a change of mindset, Art Set includes rotating art displays in the workplace, seminars on socially relevant topics (sustainability, environmental protection, diversity and inclusion, the future of cities, the future of work, etc.) and customized art events.

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Images: Andrei Breahnă, photo by Oltin Dogaru (1); COS Corporate Office Solutions, courtesy of the company (2)