ACorporation, Inc.: Corporate Form as Art Project and Advocacy

Development of the corporation was a key turning point in the institutional history of business. The concepts of life beyond the existence of its founders, limited liability, and the ability to accumulate massive amounts of capital through stock ownership changed the nature of commercial practice in the United States and around the world. This has not been without controversy, particularly as large corporations began to capture much of modern economic life. Great economic power has not always meant great responsibility, and concepts of corporate citizenship and legal “personhood” remain subjects of debate. Similarly, how corporations do, or ought to, navigate social responsibility is the subject of an extensive literature, both from legal scholars and business ethicists. This literature considers such diverse topics as the role of commons thinking in corporate governance, reporting on social responsibility issues, the interplay between economic theory and legal duties within the corporation, and so on. Yet, perhaps unsurprisingly, one area has not been the subject of significant study: the potential for responsible business advocacy through the corporate form as art.