Creativity and Arts in Organizations and Society (CAOS)

What is the CAOS Network?

The CAOS Network  is a research community that brings together doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty who are interested in the roles of art and creativity in organizing, leadership, and society.The network began with the shared desire to create a supportive, open, and intellectually vibrant environment where early-career scholars can develop their research, experiment with creative approaches, and learn from one another. CAOS is not simply a research group, but a collective space for thinking, creating, and exploring together.

How We Work

CAOS is grounded in the principles of collective creativity and shared responsibility. We meet regularly, and the format of our activities remains flexible and participant-driven. To ensure that leadership is contextual and shared, we rotate responsibility for organizing and chairing sessions.

What We Do

Our activities and gatherings include:

• Ad-hoc idea development sessions and reading groups
• Literature review workshops highlighting emerging research areas
• Seminars and workshops on art-based and practice-based research methods
• Pedagogical workshops on using art and creative practices in teaching
• Discussions on the politics, ethics, and social implications of creativity
• Hands-on creative workshops and collective making
• Collaborations across Aalto (including ARTS), as well as public-facing projects, exhibitions, and visits

Beyond academic exchange, CAOS seeks to mobilize knowledge and engage wider publics, exploring how creativity can shape work, education, and society.

Our Aim

CAOS is an experiment in collective creativity: a generative space that broadens perspectives, sparks new connections, and cultivates research that is thoughtful, relevant, and alive. Above all, we emphasize that the CAOS Network should be fun and inspirational not just instrumental!