Exploring the Fusion of Art and Psychology: A Journey Through IESA’s MBA in Arts & Cultural Management, Jinyang BAI
After studying contemporary art at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Limoges and earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Université Lyon 2, I was looking for a path that combined my love of psychology and art. IESA’s MBA in Arts & Cultural Management met my needs better than art therapy, because I preferred planning events combining art and psychology for the general public rather than traditional individual psychotherapy.
My experiences in Paris and at IESA have been a very exciting part of my life. The most enjoyable part of every week was the outdoor art history class with Daniel Lesbaches, our contemporary art professor! Together we got to see original works of art in museums and major galleries, at art fairs, and at auction houses. It is a unique experience that you can only have in Paris, one of the major art hubs.
The international part of the tour is also always exciting! For example, we went to the Venice Biennale in Italy, ARCO Madrid in Spain, and Art Basel in Switzerland with our classmates and professors. Group projects also taught me a lot about teamwork and about how to choose your teammates.
Because of my hobby and my passion for art collecting, I came to work at GAO’S GALLERY in the south of France, and I also created my own art association with my friends in Paris. I am also planning to open my own gallery later in Switzerland and China, to contribute to art exchanges between East and West, just as my director has done.
IESA teaches us research on artists, art criticism, the art market, media criticism, and museum law, which gives a more global perspective on my work and practice.
The dual degree with the business school is also very interesting and a major asset of this program.