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Daniel Hjorth

Professor

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The fate of Phaeton : Baroque art for management's sake?

Author

  • Daniel Hjorth
  • Peter Pelzer

Summary, in English

In this paper we inquire into the relationships between the Greek myth of Phaeton and Volkswagen's project to produce a luxury car (named Phaeton). Volkswagen apparently felt that the lack of a luxury car opened the possibility to question their 'son-of-God status', just like Phaeton in the Greek story. This inquiry is contextualized in the emergence of a more and more direct art-management relationship, and we approach the relationship through what the VW-Phaeton case suggests are central tendencies: (1) a taming of passion; (2) an aesthetization of business and (3) an effort of make believe. The purpose is to inquire into the baroque, the creative/pathological sides of this relationship, and we do this, drawing on Deleuze and de Certeau in particular, through the concepts of affect (singular sensation, an opening of the context towards the anomalous), passion/desire (a power to become, to produce and invest in images, anticipations of the future) and wonder.

Publishing year

2007-11

Language

English

Pages

869-886

Publication/Series

Organization

Volume

14

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Topic

  • Business Administration

Keywords

  • Affect
  • Baroque
  • De Certeau
  • Deleuze
  • Passion/desire

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1350-5084