Whether a creative event will actually live up to your expectations often depends only in part on the budget. It is the degree to which the participants are allowed room to manifest themselves and excel themselves which is the decisive factor, as this activates their creativity. For this reason, this idea is the guiding principle in the workshops, trainings and events for which visual artist Antoon Versteegde (1953) is frequently called upon, and for which he has started his ArtWorksAndMore agency.

Creative catalyst

From 1984 onward, Antoon Versteegde has developed and supervised interactive group projects, continuously pushing back frontiers between the creative artist and the general public, and frequently breaching the dividing line between imagination and reality. It is notably the active participation of the public through which these events offer a unique opportunity to build a bridge between the visual arts and its spectators. These events bring about a permanent change in the perception of one's own surroundings, so it turns out, because the participants are actively involved (for the first time, in many cases) in the creation of a work of art. They do so by creating, with combined efforts, paintings, objects and sculptures, or a life-size temporary installation.

Art as instrument

An artistic act is the ultimate instrument for stimulating, in a short period of time, mutual communication and interaction. Once the work of art has caused this effect, it may usually disappear as quickly as it appeared: after all, the project lives on in the common experience of all involved. In other situations a visible result remains, in its entirety or in part, as a series of photographs, a collage, or an exhibition, to give rise to a good conversation for some time afterwards.

Individual creation

At first, the participants individually paint, model or build their own piece of work, which will be part of the entire group project only afterwards. In this way, they work as individual creators within a planned art project from the outset, without being aware of this. None of them can anticipate the result of the project, which is still unknown. At this stage, it is not the achievement or the presentation of the artistic project to be created which is the object in view, but human contact, with mutual trust and inspiration as an important factor.

Interactive working environment

As a visual artist, Anton Versteegde has acquired, through his original working methods, a position all his own within the visual arts. By now, his ArtWorksAndMore agency has grown into an organization for various creative work forms. Its objective is to actively involve participants in creative processes, thus stimulating their vision and perception of new forms of communication. For this reason, sufficient room is always created in workshops for human contacts. After all, the guiding principle in each endeavour is the idea that more is achieved together than on one's own. The participants are all equal, and their mutual interest is the foundation for co-operation. In addition, everyone gets ample opportunity to deploy his or her personal talents for both their own mission and the common goal.

Art inspires

Art as a source of inspiration shows how organized creativity can contribute to successful entrepreneurship. After all, creativity stimulates and expands the corporate philosophy, for new associations and mental leaps act as a creative catalyst for the predominant policies. While a 'second opinion' only provides an alternative judgment or advice, a 'third opinion' provides an entirely new logic from the creative universe.