Salvador Dalí continues to remind individuals of the practical application of Surrealism in everyday life. Since 2015, hundreds of companies have taken part in The Dalí Museum’s Innovation Labs, where participants learn how to problem solve through a program combining Dalí’s art, philosophy and methods with state-of-the-art research. Like a second look at a Dalí work can prompt the viewer to assess and reassess what they are seeing, the goal of the labs is to help individuals, businesses, organizations, committees and boards reevaluate the respective lens through which they see problems, solutions and connections. Creativity often stems from challenging perspectives and connecting things that don’t necessarily belong together. Dalí was a master of juxtaposition. Exercises may ask participants to share reactions to a single Dalí work, choose a Dalí piece to represent their sentiments on a topic or challenge, discuss keywords, write a zero draft or complete an interactive gallery experience. The process moves businesses out of the fixed frame of thought of producing innovation, to let innovation become a product of creativity.
April’s Tech X-change was a hit, thanks to an engaging presentation from Digital Twin Marine. Shoutout to all the Eckerd College students who joined us! The audience was curious and interactive, asking great questions and eager to try out the virtual reality headset.
April’s event, Morning Sparks: Innovation X-change (GIS...Beyond Mapping) was postponed, but we're still buzzing with ideas. Whether you're a mapping enthusiast or not quite sure what GIS even stands for, we’d love to know: is there a topic you'd like us to explore next? What kind of innovation in this space sparks your curiosity?
The Innovation District hosts a quarterly breakfast series called Morning Sparks: Innovation X-change. At each session we explore emerging technologies, invite District partners to share their current related efforts, and engage in thoughtful (and hopefully spirited) discussions that will spark future innovation.