Looking through tools and situations : Investigating how writing tools reconfigure meaning in contemporary artistic practices

Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to the field of research that considers how artefacts and information and communication technologies (ICT) shape organizational practices. In particular, it aims at understanding how tools not only reconfigure relations in organizations, i.e. how people coordinate between each other, but also meaning, i.e. how people interpret the fundamental meaning of their work content and tasks. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports findings from a longitudinal ethnographic study which investigates the writing process of an interactive live performance written by a group of non-professional writers that was led by French video and multimedia artist Michel Jaffrennou during three months. Findings – The paper shows how multiplying writing software induced the group members to challenge their initial understanding of the cultural and traditional genre of “theater play”. It provides an empirically based account of the capacity of tools to reconfigure meaning in organizational contexts. Practical implications – The paper provides insights about how tools can be used not only as means to an end, but also as ways in which to build original strategies for exploration, especially during creative group sessions. Originality/value – The paper sheds light on distinctive albeit poorly studied aspects of tools and ICT within organizations, namely their capacity to reconfigure meaning, which more empirical studies could further investigate.