Finally, Lost in Reality

“Life is a dream, realize it”

— Mother Teresa

Photo from film 舟を編む

A pessimistic poet, Hai Zi, who is also a believer of Friedrich Nietzsche, ruins my teenage hood. Hai Zi’s most well-know poem is experiencing the world from tomorrow on. However, he committed suicide before his so-called “tomorrow” coming. I used to believe in the power of absolute perception/cognition/concept. Experience in reality? No, I am good, I would like to spend my time reading and thinking, maybe, experience the beautiful world physically from tomorrow on.

You describe the crazy people that you have met in Fashion Weeks, my understanding of Fashion Weeks is from numbers of runway reviews from vogue.com; You describe how beautiful the ocean after you underwater diving trip, my view of ocean aesthetics is from the documentary, Planet Ocean. You are experiencing failures and successes in reality, I am experiencing the world on paper, screen, and mind. You enjoy life and love in the moment, I am living in the kingdom in my mind, surrounded by fantasies. Most of your ideas, that you have shared with me, come from your thousands of tries, most of my ideas basically come from representations of reality, such as, theory, literature, film, art, and all kinds of forms which can deliver concepts. We seem to be in a dialogue, but we are, actually, alone together.

Same tragedy happens in entrepreneurship. Before class, we have watched the video of traditional startups, which start from operating plan and financial model.

“Well, all I need to do is spending a lot of time writing this plan, and all I need to do is execute it. And somehow, magically, if I thought hard enough, and I was smart enough, to do all the great market research in the library, and looking up all the data, and then, put together, and out together a forecast, the magic five years plan in the back of the business plan. Somehow, magically, all I need to do is hire people to execute that plan.” Steve Blank

Seems super magical, and also surreal. However, the plan is theoretical/unrealistic, because the base of the magic is customers hypothesis.

“No business plan survives first contact with customers. And the first year startup is completely unpredictable.” Steve Blank

Moreover,

“More startups fail from a lack of customers than from a failure of product development.” Steve Blank

The truth is, the failure is neither you are not smart enough nor you don’t think hard enough, the problem exists from the beginning of traditional startup, costumer base assumption cannot provide enough real customers to pay for the product/service.

Lesson for business: from the beginning till the mature business, we should always put the customer development in the center. Now, leave the room, get to know your customer base in reality.

Lesson for life: the world is more than beautiful, we should experience it. You cannot understand how beautiful the ocean is unless you really see it.

Seize the day. Realize your dream in reality before it’s too late.

Dong

https://www.udacity.com/

Jump out of your chamber: what if…

“Between the idea, and the reality, between the motion and the act. Falls the shadow.”   The Hollow Men, T.S Elliot

Picture from internet 

We had an Effectual Ideation activity last week under our collective inventory of means. The inventory of means are 1)who you are; 2)what you know; 3)who you know; 4)where you are.

During the activity, we 1) combine from who we are and what we know to break knowledge barriers in the room, which is a good way to push a visual art person(yes, me) out of the chamber (think outside of the box); 2) raise the problems; 3) hypothesize probable solutions from step 2; 4) formulate ways to achieve our passion with who we know/where we are.

The most charming part in this activity are the rules: no judgement; no limitation; no barriers. Without pro and con, we are encouraged to think and express freely, moreover, to remove the pre-existing tags.

Sometimes, “tag/chamber/comfort zone” is not given by others, it might be a self-identification by ourselves. We refuse trails beyond our tag/chamber/comfort zone. Pathetically, we, human beings, build a prison for ourselves, volunteer to entry the prison, lock the door, and through away the keys…

To be truly honest, I was more interested in aesthetic engagement than social criticism and value diversity in arts. In 2015, there was a “Van Gogh Alive Traveling Exhibition” by Grande exhibition, traveling from Australia to China. Their mission was simplified as “Engaging, Educational, Interactive”. Then, I published a critique about this exhibition with passion, and also, bias. Because I trusted that the alive show was only the representation of Van Gogh’s work, it could not deliver the real aesthetic content to public, comparing to the paintings in Musée du Louvre. Immediately, I saw many protesters gather around in the newspaper’s social platform. They argued that what if an audience who did not have the financial, time or educational capacities? Was he/she deserved to be forever blocked from your so-called real art?

“Van Gogh Alive Traveling Exhibition” by Grande exhibition

Yes, their concerns are more than important. Asking “what if” has always been a process that allows us to think deeper than just surface.

What if I was one of the audience, facing a tough critic like myself?

It was hard for me to understand the tragic and poetic content in the work of Euripides due to different pre-education and different conceptual contexts. Until I watched some understandable films and readings, which transferred his work into a more accessible way for me to approach.

What if a tough critic argued exactly the same as I did before…

“Nope, the play of Euripides should only be as serious as it was in the past with high standard aesthetic content. Involving too many entertaining sectors or transferring traditional play into different forms, is betraying the purism”

I might be the one who was blocked from the great thinker…

“Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds”  Franklin D. Roosevelt

Dong

Grande exhibition http://grandeexhibitions.com/van-gogh-alive-the-experience/

Read, Sarasvathy et al: Effectual Entrepreneurship

High Art or Popular Art: we can have both

“There is only one heroism in the world: to see the world as it is, and to love it.”

—Romain Rolland

By a Chinese painter Xia a.

Is cultural capitalist doing good or bad?

I appreciate all different voices into this argument. Appreciate with people who agree with me, cause they bring me recognition; appreciate with people who disagree with me, cause they make me think in an opposite way.

To understand them and to love them, cause they make you a better thinker.

When we look though charitable deduction charts presented by Congressional Budget Office, we can see that wealthy people are more willing to contribute to education and art sectors when it comes to charitable deduction.

By Congressional Budget Office

Some people argue that the rich are just transferring their financial capital to cultural capital. Building private museum and collecting expensive paintings, then, donating them to museum, gaining their power in art world.

“they are transferring money into cultural capitalism”

However, I have heard other views from some curators that, they trust that people consider to contribute to arts are a prosocial behavior, which is another way to establish their altruism, no matter what motivate them, the truths are 1)they have contributed to the society/art world; 2) many museums/art institutions are relying on their donors. I understand the different concepts between outsiders and insiders, neither good nor bad, they are just different.

High art? Popular art?

In nineteenth-century, the cultural entrepreneurs have tried to destroy the pre-existing barriers between high art and popular art, releasing the power to public in art dialogue. And nowadays, museums’ audience engagement departments are trying to attract more audiences. Involving more installation, live performance, activity in the museums, which allows audiences to interact with art works. I cannot remember since when museums allow audiences to take picture and selfie in exhibitions. The truth is, more and more museums try really hard to engage with their audiences, even a little spoiling their audiences.

Many curating proposals with high standard aesthetic goal are refused to be exhibited. If the curator does not consider about entrepreneurship and attract the public.

Think about it. An exhibition with ancient crafts being displayed on a desk VS an exhibition involving lighting, live music and ancient craft. Which proposal will be approved by a museum director (https://new.artsmia.org/power-and-beauty/).

The barriers between so-called high art and popular art are decreasing is a trend. And to be real honest, I think so-called high art and popular art are just different forms in presenting aesthetic content.

I think art people who refuse this change should be respected, because they are loyal to their former experience, and art people who embrace the trend should also be respected, because they are entrepreneurs/disruptors. Neither good nor bad, they are just different.

Yes, as Gombrich mentions in The Story of Art, both middle age Italian unknown painters and Guido Reni are great. High art and popular art, if we can understand their content and emotion releasing behind the works, we can see the pain and glory in both popular art and high art. Neither good or bad, they are just different.

“Diversity is essential to happiness” Bertrand Russell

Dong,

 

DiMaggio, P. (1982). “Cultural entrepreneurship in nineteenth-century Boston: The creation of an organizational base for high culture in America”. Media, Culture & Society, 4(1), 33-50.

Gombrich, E. H., & Gombrich, E. H. (1995). The story of art (Vol. 12). London: Phaidon.

For Entrepreneurs: Death or Rebirth?

“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final”

——Rainer Maria Rilke 

“Liberty Leading the People (French: La Liberté guidant le peuple)”  by Eugène Delacroix

An interesting review, published by New York Times in January 12, draws my attention. Paul J.Lim generalizes how surprisedly emerging market had grown last year. However, on the other hand, he argues that the bargain hunters might turn to traditional industries in emerging market for value stock, putting money into sectors like manufacturing, mining and finance.

Indeed, I admit that investor group is one of the most sensitive groups noticing economic change. After all, nobody wants to lose, and not everyone can afford the loss, especially, money. Taking a step back to traditional industries, under many uncertainties in emerging market, is convincible.

But, when investors choose to stand with a more powerful and stable side, traditional industry or industry supported by government or big foundations. When bargain hunters identify probable financial winners and losers, and join the so-called winners.

What action should entrepreneurs take to attract more venture capitalists?

Joseph Alois Schumpeter defines entrepreneurs as a brunch of disruptive people, destroying the pre-existing state of equilibrium. Seems super inspiring? But the truth is, being disruptive is hard. Moreover, being both disruptive and understandable is even harder, Tomas Ward, notes that:

Successful ideas are often a balance between novelty and familiarity: new and different enough to capture consumers’ attention, but familiar enough to not be misunderstood or rejected out of hand as too radically different.

But once, you grab the opportunity to create your project with both novelty and familiarity, and generate opportunities from mere possibilities. Then, you may change the whole system.

Before 2004, people in China can only transfer money in banks with transferring fees and about 24 hours delaying time. The financial sector was under the control of a few bank brands, and the competition was not fierce, because most of the bank brands were supported by the county. Then, a disrupter came out, a company started its e-commerce business, to provide consumer-to-consumer, business-to-consumer, and business to business sales service via web portals. Moreover, consumers have to create an account on the system, a safe 3rd place to ensure the money prepaid, and after the consumer gets the production, he/she can send money from the 3rd place to the seller. The system is called Alipay. After the e-commerce website got a large customer base, the company tried to challenge the traditional finance system. Except for the prepaid function, Alipay updated the saving account function, costumers could restore money there, when transferring to other bank account, it would be free of charge and nearly no timing delay. Moreover, Alipay built their own credit system based on the evaluation of their e-commerce business. which combined the finance system with e-commerce, and social media. After Alipay got successful, the whole Chinese financial system moved forward due to Alipay, the disrupter. 1)Mainstream banks are more effective nowadays, 2)people used to use Visa, Master, JCB systems aboard, but now the UnionPay system is accepted in most place overseas, 3)many foreign banks jump into Chinese Market.

Also, It changes people’s lifestyle in China, you can live your life only using Alipay, even when you shop in a farmer market, you cannot pay with bank card(UnionPay system) but you can pay with Alipay. Also, Alipay can be used in many places overseas where the market wants to attract Chinese visitors/customers.

The great disrupter, which produced Alipay and led a revolution in Chinese finance system was Alibaba Group.

“Fountain” by Marcel Duchamp ; SFMOMA

Valentina Assenova, who teaches entrepreneurship at the Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania points out that,

“They’re so passionate and enthusiastic, but where it leads them astray is being blind to the deficiencies in their projects, the gap between their idea and its successful execution”

I agree with half of her point, however, under the unpredictable contemporary market and uncertainty, I believe that being confident is a required quality for entrepreneurs, even a little overconfident/paranoid is acceptable.

After all, there are only few people can understand your trial will be a “disruption” before you really change the world.

Keep going

Dong

Paul J.Lim https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/business/mutfund/bargain-hunters-emerging-market-stocks.html?_ga=2.64928623.1730827163.1516498701-531088461.1516498031

CAITLIN KELLY https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/business/entrepreneurs-pivot.html

Schumpeter (1961) “The Fundamental Phenomenon of Economic Development,” from THE THEORY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: An Inquiry into Profits, Capital, Credit, Interest, and the Business cycle. Cambridge MA: Harvard U Press.

Ward, T. B. (2004). “Cognition, creativity, and entrepreneurship.” Journal of Business Venturing, 19(2), 173-188.

Waiting to be Interrupted: Being an Art Entrepreneur is Hard

“It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”

——A League of Their Own

Beautiful and Plastic Dreams

Shanghai

If you were an observer of Chinese market in 2017, it would be easy for you to catch the topic of this year, “Sharing Economy”(New York Times). The main productions of this year are economic blooming, new companies, angel investors, bankrupted companies, anxious founders.

Most of the new companies, which already get at least Series B Funding(the seed capital round is getting really tough for nowadays in the market), have no choice but to shut down in 2017. 

And the other lucky new companies, which survive in chaos, have the limited choices as below:

1. Find a big buyer. 

Many entrepreneurs sell their companies to big companies like Alibaba Group，(NYSE：BABA).

2. Find public buyers.

In other words, getting their companies public listed. Which is another way to get capital to support the company.

3. Profits.

An entrepreneur, runs an innovative company(over $30 Million), gives me 3 suggestions:

1. If you want to start your own enterprise, ask money for 3Fs (Family, Friend, Fool).
2. Do not get over $200,000 fund before you set up the business model, have all the connections you need, and have the ability to control the risk.
3. You may get a Maserati and depression at the same time.

Being an entrepreneur is never easy. The more shinning an entrepreneur is, the more bitter he/she has taken. After all, once you choose to be an entrepreneur, the two biggest things you have to shoulder as well are, “uncertainty and risk (Essig)”.

 

The Barriers in Art Entrepreneurship

From academic research to the market

Surprisedly, “sharing economy” exists in academic world before 21 century. However, the concept got pop after 2010 in Chinese market. 

If you want to know that is the next trend, see you in the academic world.

Here, I recommend a film, the Big Short. Which proves that knowledge is power, knowing more provides us the ability to see further.

From artist to art entrepreneur 

Before Amazon delivered Why are Artists Poor to me, I thought that artists were all art entrepreneurs based on artists around me in Shanghai. In 2016, I published an article to critique young artists’ addiction in art market (Beijing Youth Daily). 

I was wrong, many artists still treat entrepreneurship as a betrayal to art.

 

In Barrys’ blog—Day 3:

Dr. Essig notes that “One challenge is that many artists see the very word “entrepreneurship” or the very concept of the art market as antithetical to art making”( Barrys’ blog). 

The painting ‘Salvator Mundi’ by Leonardo da Vinci at Christie’s. $450.3 Million sold, Fall 2017. Credit Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Artists want to remain “purism” in their world. 

Indeed, this conflict exists in some cases. For example, a young artist who is required to sign the additional condition with a commercial gallery:

“the gallery offers the artist money and space to exhibit the installation, but also, the artist has to provide some paintings, which can be sold to benefit to the gallery”. 

All the galleries know that most of the collectors prefer collect paintings rather than installations/videos. 

Can you say NO? Even you have a thousand of voices in your brain to refuse these conditions. But, the truth is: You Need Bread.

But, if the artist is also an art entrepreneur, who knows how to self-produce, I bet, he/she has the option to say no to any additional conditions. Cause he/she does not have to rely on anything, he/she can produce bread independently.

 

Artists refuse entrepreneurship, is just like classic artists refuse conceptual arts to share the museum space with them.

Again, trust me, we cannot refuse art entrepreneurship in art world, just like we cannot refuse Marcel Duchamp. It’s a trend, and it’s another way for artists to be remain pure.

 

Good Luck,

Dong

January 15, 2018

References:

New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/magazine/chinas-revealing-spin-on-the-sharing-economy.html

Linda Essig, “Means and Ends: A Theory Framework for Understanding Entrepreneurship in the US Arts and Culture Sector”, The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, 45:4, 227-246, DOI: 

Huixian Dong, Beijing Youth Daily, http://epaper.ynet.com/html/2016-07/22/content_209666.htm?div=-1

Barrys’ blog, http://blog.westaf.org/2014/05/arts-entrepreneurship-blogathon-day-3.html