Culture is future » Innovation and digital

Always Further - Culture as a vector of change

But what is culture? In 1952 Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture". No wonder we have a hard time defining what is and what is not. And when it comes to talking about it, developing it and not at least trying to get it funded, we find ourselves in a limbo. And Limbo is not meant in the dancing kind of way – even though that for some would be defined as culture. 

However, the word "culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses:

First is excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities, also known as high culture, secondly it is an integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning. The third one is a set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization, or group.

I think there is a reason for these three senses sharing the same word. Fine arts are what shapes the human races shared values. Human knowledge and behaviors is communicated through arts. That is why it is not a question if culture is future, but a statement.

It is through culture in every sense we can shape the future into something we can all be proud of.

Let us use art to communicate what we see the behaviors and the values of the human race are, and let us use art to change that into the better.

The 17th of November 2011 I will go to Forum d’Avignon with my 5 co-students from the KaosPilot School in Denmark, and try to start that change. 

A contribution of Kaospilot/Maja Krog

Credits : Forum d'Avignon