Safety technology by means of the... Arts?

(Implementing the Industrial Accidents Convention)

Evelina Rioukhina, UNECE

Last week I participated in the 2^nd meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents. It was an unusual meeting not only because of the interesting location (the meeting was held in the Palace of Congress of Chisinau, Republic of Moldova), or because the Convention itself touched fundamental issues of preventing and mitigating the effects of industrial accidents through enhancing safety at hazardous installations. It was unusual because for the first time ever the floor in such a forum was given to… art. An artist addressed the audience with an appeal to build a bridge between art, nature and technology. Moreover, an arts exhibition led to the doors of the meeting room while painters welcomed participants showing this symbolic bridge.

This symbolic bridging already occurs in the earlier history of arts. The outstanding example is the life of Leonardo da Vinci, engineer, scientist and artist. Reading his biography we can see that his interest in painting originated with an interest in science and technology. Science was born of the spirit of art as he pointed out in his theories on the dimensions of persons that appear in his paintings, such as the “Madonna with the Carnation” (1475). Leonardo da Vinci for the first time in history developed a scientific theory of landscape painting based on precise observation of the appearance of nature, the so-called “Botany of Painters”. His technical inventions including flying machines also demonstrate this point. The 19^th century was marked by industrialisation, which did not go unobserved by the painters (“Steel-works” by the German artist Adolf Menzel in 1875, Claude Monet’s “Le Pont de Rome and the “Gare Saint Lazare”. The Russian avant-garde at the beginning of the 20^th century is the closest link between nature, technology and the arts. “In Persistence of Technology” is a nineties version of Salvador Dali’s “In Persistence of Time”, the artists of today (e.g. Remo Camponiano) adapt the revolutionary changes in media and digital culture.

The link between art and technology is still vital. And if earlier this link was based to a great extent on industrial design, it is now part of a broader concept. The question of a new beginning in the relationship between art and technology is now more than ever appropriate. It may even be possible to improve industrial safety through art. This question was one of the subjects in the discussions during the Workshop on Safety Technology, which was held as a back-to-back session on the eve of the opening of the Conference of the Parties. The workshop was mainly devoted to the questions of environmental damage. However, one of the items was the reduction of the risk of industrial accidents by safety management systems. The workshop was organised jointly by Sergiusz Ludwiczak, Secretary of the Conference of the Parties of the Industrial Accidents Convention and our colleagues from Germany: Ludwig Dinkloh (Federal Environmental Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety), and Gerhard Winkelmann-Oei (Federal Environmental Agency). It was unusual to find the topic of creating safety by means of arts on the agenda of such a Workshop. In this sense it was an exceptionally innovative event.

The summary decisions and conclusions of the Workshop and draft decisions of the Conference are evidence that the key issues in achieving a high level of safety is the transfer of know-how on technical safety measures and organisational capabilities, requiring improved production efficiency and risk management. Several strategies of a purely technical character, such as the “guidelines on safety and safety management systems” were noted as part of a broader spectre of strategies, such as the organisation of international conferences, round tables and exchanges of experts. Art in its proper sense is not yet in the wording of the conclusions of the report. Perhaps this will happen soon (why not ?). However, it is obvious that there is a place for both – purely technical security and security and safety through the arts. Conceptual research along these lines was presented by Uta Friederike Miksche who explained the concept of art in relationship with safety :

“To enhance safety, a safety “culture” is required, with art a crucial part of it. The perception of works of art can improve abilities that are strongly connected with safety. Safety can be improved by the capability of critical thinking and arguing and by the creative potential for solving problems. These capabilities can be developed by perceiving works of art. The perception of art stimulates the individual performance, increases the learning capacity and the competence for oral expression. Thus art can be a crucial part in the enhancement of safety as a powerful means beyond technology. No specific standard of education is needed for the experience of art at the workplace. Thus art is a most suitable medium to increase experiences at all levels of the organisations hierarchy so as to positively influence safety standards. The effectiveness of art at the workplace cannot be measured. However, empirical research gives proof of this effectiveness. Thus, to introduce art into current field of technology means allowing new ways of thinking to take place in the domain of science and technique and to overcome antiquated approaches of problem solving in the industrial context. In fact, to tie together art and technology for the improvement of safety standards is a most innovative approach”.

And how does the bridging of art, nature and technology occur in practice? Uta Miksche explains: “The bridging can take place in different ways. One is to bring art works to the workplace to further improve the atmosphere in an environment where employees spend most of their time. This can be part of the program to develop a safety culture. Besides, the perception of art can contribute to the reduction of stress that is known to be a safety risk. By viewing works of art a new way of thinking can be established. Psychological research has pointed out that viewing works of art can improve a variety of qualities in the employee. Specific programs would be developed in each industrial enterprise and situation, to include also seminars in which members of all levels of the organization’s hierarchy would participate.”

Writing this article, I do not wish to suggest that all UN or other international fora should begin with painting exhibitions, or with poetry or symphonic declarations. Nor do I want to turn the working place into a art gallery or concert hall. Everything should occupy an appropriate place in our life and soul, in our working or spiritual environment, not contradicting but harmoniously complementing each other. But perhaps we should go further and think more deeply over new approaches and new correlations between what appear quite different domains, such as those described above; that is, arts and industrial safety. Maybe not everybody would accept this idea, since it goes beyond the traditional perception of the role of arts. However, new times demand new approaches in all spheres, be they politics, economics, engineering, or mathematics. The scientist must take up new challenges to reach new frontiers. Then why not the artists? While some of them may remain in the old traditions or try to find the new ways of expressing, the others might take up new developments and gain new perspectives. The influence of arts on industrial safety is one of such pathways of creativity. And if we ponder deeper from these new horizons perhaps we can find the new dimensions of arts application in the modern society?

(Special thanks to Dr. Miksche for sharing her concepts with UN Special. For further information she may be contacted at info@artconcept-Miksche.de)