When one thinks about the Renaissance era, probably the world renowned masterpieces are the first thing to come to mind. But, the Renaissance era was so much more than that. It was the era of revival of not just art and culture but also science and technology. The era when art and science were infused together incredibly organically. The era when artists used anatomy studies to depict the human body with exact precision or invented mathematical perspectives to portray physical spaces realistically.
Currently, we live in the era of technology. The more rapidly the technology grows, the more surely the role of arts and culture declines. Art is the backbone of the development of creative society, and making societies more creative has to be imperative in order to be able to increase innovations.
Back in the Renaissance era, the Medici family (an art-loving family of wealthy bankers and three popes), helped fund the Renaissance by bringing together artists, philosophers, scientists along with other creative types. The book “The Medici Effect” by Frans Johansson beautifully narrates how these cross-industry connections resulted in the most inventive era in history.
“What does this all have to do with me”? One could ask. Well, the one thing we all could do is to expose ourselves to art day-to-day and train the creative muscles. But, more importantly than that, we should invest in art, as an investment in the innovative future.