Anatomy of a Techno-Creative Community – The Role of Places and Events in the Emergence of Videomapping in Nantes

Abstract

This article aims to study the role of places and events in the structuring of a community of innovation whose practice is at the crossroads of art and tech - videomapping. Based on an exploratory case study, we observe the relationships between the different actors who form subgroups, sharing a common interest in a techno-creative practice - but whose collective innovation dynamic is only in its beginnings. We also document the usage of places and events in their intermediation role for these subgroups. This reveals preferential circulations - patterns of moves among a set of focal locations in the city for a community – and the crucial role of these locations in creative communities emergence.

Keywords: techno-creative innovation, places, knowledge, network analysis

JEL Classification: D85, O32, R11, Z10