Why Art Belongs in the Workplace
Years ago, for a university assignment, I found myself in Auckland’s Vero Centre at eight o’clock on a weekday morning. The building is one of the city’s most prestigious office towers, home to multinational firms and major financial institutions. But I wasn’t there to study the architecture, the corporate culture, or the skyline views. My focus was on something quieter, yet just as significant: the art.
The task was simple — ask office workers how they felt about the art in their building, and whether they would notice if it wasn’t there.
The Coffee Queue Conversations
It’s a delicate thing to approach office workers first thing in the morning. People are usually preoccupied, rushing to elevators or glancing at their phones. So instead of interrupting them on their way to work, I chose a softer approach. I went to the café on the ground floor where people waited for their coffee orders — that brief pause between home and desk, when the day hasn’t fully started.
One by one, I asked them about the art they saw daily in the building. And without exception, they were willing to chat. Some spoke quickly, others at length, but all gave variations of the same answer: the art mattered.
They noticed it. They enjoyed it. They felt uplifted by it. And yes, they would definitely notice — and feel a sense of loss — if it were taken away.
More Than Decoration
What struck me was how naturally people spoke about art as part of their work environment. None of them were professional critics, and most didn’t even claim to know much about art. But they didn’t need specialist knowledge to feel its presence.
They described how seeing a sculpture or a painting when they walked in gave them a moment of pause. It was simply part of the atmosphere, the character of the place. For many, it had become inseparable from the building itself.
One person told me that it made the space feel “human.” Another said it gave them something different to look at, a small escape from spreadsheets and emails. Someone else remarked that without the art, “this would just be another office tower.”
Their answers weren’t about art as luxury or prestige. They were about art as belonging.
What Happens When It’s Missing
If you’ve ever hung a painting on your own wall, then taken it down, you know the difference instantly. A wall without art feels bare. The room loses a layer of warmth and character. You might not consciously notice the absence at first, but you feel it.
The same is true in offices. We often underestimate how much the work environment influences mood, focus, and energy. A sterile space may be functional, but it lacks resonance. Adding art doesn’t just fill walls — it adds colour, rhythm, and inspiration to the day.
The Vero Centre workers confirmed what research has long suggested: art in the workplace contributes to wellbeing. It lifts spirits, sparks curiosity, and creates a sense of identity for a company or team.
Not Just for Corporates
Of course, not every business can afford large-scale sculptures or installations like those in the Vero building. Those pieces are investments, curated collections designed to impress.
But the principle holds true on a smaller scale. Even a single painting in a staffroom, or a rotating selection of prints in a hallway, can shift the atmosphere. Staff resonate with art. They notice it, often more than management expects. And they value it.
Art says: “We thought about you. We want you to feel inspired here.”
It’s not about extravagance — it’s about recognition of the human need for beauty and meaning, even in everyday spaces.
A Personal Reflection
Looking back on that assignment, what stayed with me wasn’t the answers themselves, but the clarity with which people expressed them. There was no hesitation. Everyone, without exception, said yes: the art made a difference.
It made me think about how easily we dismiss or overlook the role of art outside galleries and museums. In truth, most of us encounter art more often in public or professional spaces — in lobbies, offices, cafés, or corridors — than in dedicated art institutions.
These encounters are brief, sometimes only seconds, but they matter. They punctuate our routines. They give shape to the spaces where we spend so much of our lives.
As an artist, that’s deeply encouraging. It reminds me that art doesn’t need to be monumental to matter. It can be quiet, familiar, woven into the fabric of a workplace — and still make an impact every single day.
Why This Matters Now
In recent years, with hybrid and remote work reshaping how we think about offices, companies are asking new questions about what makes a workplace worth coming into. Pay, perks, and technology are important, but so is the atmosphere — the sense that a space is more than just desks and screens.
Art is part of that answer. It signals care, identity, and vision. It can reflect a company’s values, honour cultural connections, or simply provide moments of colour and stillness amid busyness.
Investing in art is not just about appearances. It’s about creating environments where people feel engaged and appreciated.
Closing Thought
That morning in the Vero Centre café, I realised something simple: art is not optional. It might be the quietest presence in a building, but it’s also one of the most essential. Workers felt its absence before it even happened. They imagined the walls bare and shuddered.
Not every workplace can install sculptures in the lobby or commission bespoke collections. But every workplace can choose to hang something that matters.
Because once art becomes part of a space — whether in a corporate tower or a corner office — it belongs there. It becomes part of people’s daily rhythm, part of the story of where they work. And if it were taken away, they’d notice. They’d care.
That’s the quiet power of art.
