Lone Genius Research Articles

Understanding Curriculum Transformations Towards the Creation of Sustainable Learning Environments: A Posthumanist Reflection

This paper uses posthumanism as the theoretical framing to understand the curriculum transformations towards creating sustainable learning environments at some higher education institutions (HEIs) and the early childhood care and education (ECCE) centres in South Africa. The choice of these two bands in education is necessitated by the fact that curriculum singularities and/or insularities have become obsolete in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, the calls for decolonization of the curriculum and the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). For example, COVID-19 has demonstrated that the curriculum is best delivered when various actors, different modes of interaction and distributed sites are used to ensure no learner is left behind, irrespective of their station in life. Emphasizing the same notions of multi-layered and multi-perspectival approaches, the calls for decolonization affirm the importance of all canons of knowledge, beyond just the euro-centric ones, as the basis for a transformed curriculum. Furthermore, the 4IR privileges the skills of collaboration and compassion for others as critical in this era. What the article brings forth as the central idea is the primacy of relationalities in the construction of curriculum, hence the identities of learners, students, academics, caregivers, institutions of higher learning and care centres. The above are beyond the deleterious influences of anthropocentrism, hence the Anthropocene, and the individuality of humanism and enlightenment. Creating sustainable learning environments is the primary goal of all curricula across the globe. The challenge thus far has been the curriculum approaches that isolate individuals and/or processes from the stakeholders and role players. Curricula emphasized the lone genius’s power and prowess, relying almost solely on their innate abilities as advised by genetic epistemology; this was despite the incessant caution by socio-culturalism and eco-systemic couplings. The latter advocates for the focus on relationalities as a basis for curriculum quality assurance and its transformations. To evidence the above, this article traces how the scholars and practitioners of the curriculum at HEIs and ECCE in South Africa have shifted focus from an emphasis on isolationism to collaboration and the privileging of relationalities. The article highlights the nature and the specificity of those changes and how they relate to new curriculum experiences.

Forming Action: The Subject in the Object

AbstractIn an autobiographical article, Professor Emerita of Yale University's School of Architecture Peggy Deamer records her experiences at architecture school and the epiphany moments that shifted her perception of the profession. This prompted her to question architects’ love of creating ‘perfect’ form and dwelling in the purely ocular‐centric and the cult of the lone genius.

Специфіка кінематографічного втілення мотиву фаустіанства за романом П. Зюскінда «Парфуми. Історія одного вбивці»

The purpose of the article is to determine the peculiarities of the implementation of the Faustian motif in the film version of P. Süskind's novel «Perfume: The Story of a Murderer» (2006) and the remake – the TV series «Perfume (Parfum)» (2018), both based on the novel by Süskind. The objective of the research is to compare the implementation of genre features, the image of the main character, and the motivation of his and other characters’ actions in the film and the TV series, to analyze the use of artistic techniques in the literary adaptation. The objectives of the research were achieved via the employment of comparative and analytical methods, which facilitated establishing the peculiarities of the intermedial transformation of P. Süskind’s novel and analysis of the metamodernist manifestations in the cinematic versions of the novel. In the context of Faustianism, the proposed study of the film adaptation of Süskind's novel is carried out for the first time. It has been established that Tom Tykwer's film is dominated by elements of the genres of romantic detective and thriller, while in the series the elements of detective and erotic thriller prevail. Elements of other genres can also be recognized in the film, except for philosophical and educational. It is established that the task of rendering the smell the creators of the film solve through the use of artistic means – the props, non-verbal signs, musical accompaniment, and visual effects. It is revealed that the main problem faced by the creators of the film was the creation of a positive image of the main character, a marginalized person rejected by society. Tom Tykwer's team created the image of an attractive criminal, a lone genius who invented the perfect perfume at the cost of crime. In the film, the main motif of Faustianism is successfully implemented – the desire for knowledge, as for the other Faustian motifs – the connection with mystical forces, and the desire for beauty – they are painted sporadically. The film also does not show the main character’s attitude to God, to the concepts of good and evil. The plot of the «Perfume» series (2018) is based on the murder of the red-haired singer Katharina Läufer; memories and experiences of her friends from the Catholic boarding school, who were once impressed by Patrick Süskind's novel «Perfume: The Story of a Murderer», which inspired them to experiment with human odors, searching for the perfect fragrance. The creators of the series raised the question to the audience: is it possible to manipulate people with the help of smells? At the center of the plot are six teenagers and then later five friends of the singer Katharina Läufer, and three detectives. Grenouille's image from the novel is split into several protagonists. The main motive that determines their actions is the desire for love. In the novel «Perfume: The Story of a Murderer» the author manages to maintain the attention of the readers through his virtuoso mastery of style, whereas in the film and TV series, the emphasis is on feelings. The language of sensuality, widely used in Tom Tykwer's film, is one of the hallmarks of metamodernism. The «Perfume» series (2018), where the characters are in constant search, they worry and strive to become better, we consider to be a typical cultural product of the metamodernism era. The audience's perception of the film and the series, in contrast to the unfavorable attitude of critics and journalists, indicates the birth of a new socio-cultural reality and its influence on the work of filmmakers and writers. Keywords: Faustian, motive, micro-image of the smell, postmodernism, metamodernism, Patrick Süskind, Tom Tykwer.

A cluster's internationalization as a catalyst for its innovation system's access to global markets

PurposeThe paper aims to illuminate the platform created by a cluster organization to facilitate its internationalization and thereby enhance its regional innovation system partners' competitiveness by providing access to global value chains and boosting innovativeness.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws upon the interaction approach, focusing on the interaction process, interaction partners, relationship atmosphere, and relationship environment. A qualitative study was conducted at Future Position X, a Swedish cluster organization. A total of 58 interviews were conducted, including 48 face-to-face in-depth interviews between 2017 and 2019 with six key informants at FPX, representatives from 28 SMEs, ten members of regional innovation systems to which FPX belongs, and four process leaders of regional and local networks, in addition to online interviews with ten members of the regional innovation systems conducted via Microsoft Teams in March 2021. The time span of the study provides a longitudinal perspective.FindingsThe FPX cluster collaborates with actors in the quadruple helix, maintaining a mindset that has led to a number of new partner agreements in the global arena to secure the resources and expertise necessary for cluster activities, and thereby ensuring firms in FPX networks access to platforms for international expansion. Internationalization thus expands the cluster's knowledge base beyond the traditional environment of its member firms.Research limitations/implicationsVery few innovations arise from the isolated work of a lone genius. Instead, most innovation is achieved through complex, interactive, iterative and cumulative learning processes in which a variety of actors are involved. The FPX cluster organization's internationalization platform is therefore vital to the internationalization of its partners since cluster actors lack the time, resources, knowledge, experience, and networks required to break into international markets singlehandedly.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that, for practitioners and researchers alike, the growing importance and relevance of the regional innovation system cannot be overemphasized. It also holds policy and societal implications in that FPX's global network helps regional SMEs to internationalize, in addition to inspiring international firms to establish operations in the Gävleborg region, thereby helping to strengthen the overall GIS environment. Internationalization also expands the FPX cluster's knowledge base beyond the traditional environment of its firms, an example of this being the construction start of a Microsoft data centre in the region in 2020.Social implicationsFPX is financed through taxation and grant funding. By initiating projects, creating relationships and building collaborations, FPX thus contributes to collaboration between business, academia and the public sector. FPX also contributes to knowledge development of new technology by creating meeting places and networks around digital issues, such as GIS, AI, the IoT and blockchain technology.Originality/valueWhile earlier research has concentrated on endogenous gaps critical to cluster dynamics, comparatively little attention has been paid to exogenous gaps, i.e. linkages between regional clusters and innovation partners elsewhere in the world. This study showcases the richness of interactions in the cluster against the background of wider, global innovation interactions. Future research should examine other vital questions that remain unanswered, e.g. by measuring and exploring the extent to which regional innovation systems can contribute to long-term economic growth for society.

Bez geniuszów, bez cudów — w kolektywie. Głos w dyskusji nad nową książką Wojciecha Sadego

The paper indicates how an original Fleckian core of Wojciech Sady’s methodology significantly weakens some popular presentations of the history of empirical sciences (especially the so-called scientific revolutions), which are founded on a myth of a ‘lonely genius’ and ‘miraculous ideas’. Sady rightly emphasizes the collective-cognitive character of processes shaping the theoretical breakthroughs in physics, however he unnecessarily contends that there is some determinism behind them. In order to understand their dynamics, one needs the fine-grained historical-sociological analyses concerning the factors which regulate the work of the research collectives (also the early modern ones), but the widespread individualistic myths make that task much harder, even in a field of critical philosophy of science. It is suggested that the Fleckian perspective is also quite crucial in explaining the seemingly paradoxical waves of antiscientific sentiments which are clearly visible in the hypertechnological societies.

J’écris ensemble : quelques propositions


 
 
 Dans sa réponse littéraire aux articles du numéro spécial des Cahiers de la Société bibliographique du Canada, « Œuvrer ensemble. Les rouages collectifs dans la chaîne du livre», Giguère traque dans ses derniers retranchements le mythe du génie solitaire seul responsable de ses forfaits littéraires; un mythe persistant, mais désormais intenable pour les historiens du livre. Giguère propose en fait que le « je » écrit toujours en collaboration avec d’autres agents.
 
 

Remix and Reproduction in the Post-Internet Age: A Contemporary Art + Design Pedagogy

Having taught many university-level studio art courses, I have noticed in my students a surprising investment in the notion of originality and authorship in their own creative practices, even as they freely participated in the exchange, reuse, and remixing of visual languages on social media and the internet. This paper focuses on techniques to incorporate remix practices into studio art and design classrooms, arguing that students benefit significantly from a focus on what I term “remix pedagogy,” meaning a method and practice of teaching that brings together both the concepts and the creative use of remix tactics. I argue that remix pedagogy offers four key benefits to visual arts pedagogy. First, it productively reconfigures outmoded notions of originality and authenticity, freeing students from the high-pressure myth of the artist as a lone genius. In doing so, remix pedagogy offers a second benefit: it introduces students to new modes of making that promote ideation, design thinking, and creative production, including the support of collaborative frameworks in artistic processes. Thirdly—and crucially—these new modes of making teach visual art students how to use artistic practice as social commentary with a cultural fluidity previously unavailable to them. Finally, remix pedagogy familiarizes art and design students with the principles of fair use, promoting complex critical reasoning by forcing them to reason through what makes a work “transformative” and to distinguish fair use from plagiarism. This paper provides examples from my own teaching in Copy Culture, a course I developed at the University of San Francisco.

Buy one painting, get two names. On the valuation of artist collaborations in the art market

PurposeTo analyze the market reception of multi-authored works of art through the lens of collaborative old master paintings (“formal/prestige collaboration”). This paper tests whether multi-authored attribution strategies (i.e. naming two artists as brand names) affect buyers' willingness to pay differently from single-authored works in the auction market.Design/methodology/approachThis case study focuses on collaborative paintings by Flemish masters, based on a data set comprising 11,630 single-authored and collaborative paintings auctioned between 1946 and 2015. Hedonic regressions have been employed to test whether or not co-branded artworks are differently valued by buyers and how the reputation of each artist might influence valuation.FindingsDespite the opportunity for buyers to purchase one artwork with two brand names, this study reveals that the average value of collaborative paintings is statistically lower than that of single-authored paintings. This is especially true when a reputed master was involved in the collaboration. The present findings suggest that the valuable characteristics of formal collaborations (i.e. double brand name, dual authorship and reputation, high-quality standards) are no longer perceived and valued as such by buyers, and that co-branding can affect the artist brand equity because of a contagion effect. We argue that integral authorship is more valued than partial authorship, suggesting that the myth of the artist as a lone genius is still well-anchored in purchasing habits.Research limitations/implicationsPrestige collaborations are a very particular form of early co-branding in the art world, with limited data available. Further research should consider larger samples to reiterate the analysis on other collaboration forms in order to challenge the current findings.Practical implicationsResearchers and living artists should be aware that brand building and co-branding are marketing strategies that may generate negative effects on prices in the art market. The perceived and market value of co-branded works are time-varying, and depends on both the context of reception of these works and the reputation of the artists at time t.Originality/valueThis market segment has never been considered in art market studies, although formal collaboration is one of the earliest documented forms of co-branding in the art world. This paper provides new empirical evidence from the auction market, based on buyers' willingness to pay, and it further highlights the reception of multi-authored art objects in Western art markets that particularly value individual creators.

Figure Heads: Leadership and Succession in Architectural Practice

AbstractColander Associates are experts in offering support and advice for architectural business development. The London firm's director Caroline Cole here explores various aspects of figurehead branding, with its ‘lone genius’ myth, as well as more collaborative modes of practice and their consequent corporate identity.

Czy Bruno Latour testuje Rema Koolhaasa i co z tego dla nowej humanistyki wynika?

Is Bruno Latour testing Rem Koolhaas and what are the results for the new humanities?One of today’s most famous architects, Rem Koolhaas, tackles the problem of architectural objects as networked and transformable processes — not only structural, but also social and politi­cal ones. Bruno Latour, in turn, who is a sociologist, is constructing this time a theory — a weapon/ a new tool which will help architects move objects which so far have been static “Give me a gun and I will make all the buildings move” and design them in a non-Euclidean space. Theoretically, Latour — by “tapping lightly on Koolhaas’s architecture with a blind person’s cane” — proves once again that we have never been modern and, on the other hand, proposes to look at the design process in such a manner as to see the public character of things, discover the agency of non-human actors.What is the result of Latour’s collaboration with Koolhaas? Will the considerations of a prac­titioner and a theoretician, an architect and a sociologist prove to be an important contribution to the revision of cultural expressions? In my article, in the spirit of critical reflection on the myth of a lonely genius, I shall follow the demands of treating design as a collective process, networking the work of helpers and collaborators, data collectors and seekers of contexts. Are they really imple­mented in architectural practice? Is it really possible to talk about experimental methods of produc­tion and presentation of knowledge in this case?

The “lone genius” myth: Signaling an independent social orientation communicates creative potential

The “lone genius” myth: Signaling an independent social orientation communicates creative potential

The Truth about Tesla: The Myth of the Lone Genius in the History of Innovation [Book Reviews

This book is part of a small but growing critical historiography of Nikola Tesla – a kind of Reformation in Tesla Studies. The volume derives its thesis from something all serious student of the history of science and technology know: most breakthroughs are overdetermined. Overlooking the introduction, we can say that this book is a welcome and much needed addition to the Tesla literature. It’s attractive and generally clear and unhurried in its discussion of electricity and electromagnetic theory.

A seethe of poets: creativity and community

This article explores the social and cultural status of contemporary poetry, with reference to the enduring myth of the lone genius. Drawing on a corpus of research interviews with poets and on creativity literature, we analyse the validity of isolated poetic genius, comparing the narratives of the solitary life with the material evidence of lives spent in connection with others. Indications in previous studies of creativity suggest the importance of community and networks in building creative thought and capacity, and we examine transcripts from our interviews with 76 contemporary poets to compare their experience with that of other communities. Our findings indicate the importance of social and community networks among poets of high repute.

Non-Linear Innovation

Contemporary intellectual property theory concentrates on the cumulative and incremental nature of innovation and creation. A prevalent image depicts authors and inventors as “standing on the shoulders of giants.” This article focuses on a different type of innovation that has been largely overlooked by intellectual property theory and doctrine: innovation in the domains of science and art that breaks with convention, disputes existing paradigms, and “steps off” giants’ shoulders. I term it “non-linear innovation”. Drawing on multidisciplinary research ranging from the history of science, through network analysis of radical inventions, to studies of creativity, this article illuminates an embedded socio-cultural preference for incremental and linear novelty over paradigm-changing innovation. It then inquires whether intellectual property doctrine reflects this bias and whether the intellectual property regime can better foster non-linear innovation. The examination yields a series of counterintuitive recommendations concerning numerous patent and copyright law doctrines. More broadly, the analysis indicates that neither the “shoulders of giants” metaphor nor the opposite image of the “lone genius” adequately capture the dynamics of non-linear innovation. It further suggests that expanding intellectual property’s narrative of progress to accommodate non-linear innovation, alongside cumulative innovation, could significantly contribute to the ecosystem of innovation and creation.

Internationalizing-Innovation Profiles and High-Technology Exports: Does Lone Genius Matter?

Innovation-performance research, when conducted at the firm level, neglects the role of innovation that is created without firm involvement. In this article, the authors test Schumpeter's lone-genius hypothesis: “Change in economic life always starts with the actions of a forceful individual.” To do so, the authors introduce country-level internationalizing-innovation profile (IIP), which characterizes a country's innovation resources, and internationalizing-innovation experience (IIE), which characterizes a country's level of patenting activity into the United States. Using fixed-effects panel data analysis for 50 countries from 1990 through 2010, the authors demonstrate that a country's IIP moderated by IIE influences high-technology exports. The findings suggest that lone genius does have an impact, depending on the phase of a country's IIE development. The implications of these findings for theory, public policy, and international marketing managers are discussed.

From Authorship to Ownership: A Historical Perspective

Since the notion of copyright first arose in the Renaissance era, the perception and reality of architects' roles has dramatically altered. Guest‐Editor Antoine Picon traces the evolution from lone creative genius to today's ‘star architects’, employing hundreds of designers. Is the concept of authorship still relevant in this new context? Or has the emphasis shifted to ownership, whether of building designs or of the software or templates used to produce them?

The truth about Tesla: the myth of the lone genius in the history of innovation

The truth about Tesla: the myth of the lone genius in the history of innovation

A beautiful sea: P. A. M. Dirac's epistemology and ontology of the vacuum

SUMMARYThis paper charts P.A.M. Dirac's development of his theory of the electron, and its radical picture of empty space as an almost-full plenum. Dirac's Quantum Electrodynamics famously accomplished more than the unification of special relativity and quantum mechanics. It also accounted for the ‘duplexity phenomena’ of spectral line splitting that we now attribute to electron spin. But the extra mathematical terms that allowed for spin were not alone, and this paper charts Dirac's struggle to ignore or account for them as a sea of strange, negative-energy, particles with positive ‘holes’. This work was not done in solitude, but rather in exchanges with Dirac's correspondence network. This social context for Dirac’s work contests his image as a lone genius, and documents a community wrestling with the ontological consequences of their work. Unification, consistency, causality, and community are common factors in explanations in the history of physics. This paper argues on the basis of materials in Dirac's archive that --- in addition --- mathematical beauty was an epistemological factor in the development of the electron and hole theory. In fact, if we believe that Dirac's beautiful mathematics captures something of the world, then there is both an epistemology and an ontology of mathematical beauty.

William Shakespeare, My New Best Friend?

New trends in biographical writing often make readers imagine that they can understand and directly experience the presence of historical figures as if they knew them intimately. The essay reconsiders Shakespeare’s life and career in the light of these developments arguing that thinking that we can know Shakespeare well invariably leads to ignorance rather than enlightenment because the past can never be quite like the present. The post-romantic model of the lone genius or solitary author stubbornly remains even when critics accept that Shakespeare wrote collaboratively and that his work was created ‘in company’. Examining Shakespeare’s career and the conditions under which his work was produced reveals a writer who was always responsive to prevailing trends and whose writing has to be understood in its context. Shakespeare played an important role within his theatrical companies; worked with other actors; and always had one eye on what his fellow writers – and rivals – were doing, facts that are often obscured but which explain how he became what he was.

History: Einstein was no lone genius.

Lesser-known and junior colleagues helped the great physicist to piece together his general theory of relativity, explain Michel Janssen and Jurgen Renn.