PROBLEMS AND POTENTIALS IN THE CREATION OF NEW OBJECTS

In this paper we will based on two case studies, explore the creation of new objects in two very different contexts, being the art of painting and the fluid-mechanical engineering. From an empirical point of view we will treat creativity through actor-context relations, which enclose perceptions of problems.

This kind of context is capturing a duality as both being a stabilizing structure, difficult to escape from, but also serving as the condition upon which to create something. This duality appears to be a critical and necessary condition for the creation of something new. Through different social theories we will argue the importance of problems in change-making processes.

We will emphasize on how processes of creative thinking and innovation is done in steps, and how the end result reflects what these steps have brought in terms of problem perception and new knowledge. Inspired by concepts from Bruno Latour´s science studies, we suggest a framework by which to understand how change is performed through systematical steps of materialization of problems, to gain the necessary support and acceptance to carry through innovation.