Brian Eno and Bette Adriaanse explore purpose of art in new book

Legendary British musician and visual artist Brian Eno is stepping back into the world of words. His highly anticipated “What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory”, co-authored with Dutch artist and writer Bette Adriaanse, invites readers to ponder questions that have been central to Eno’s career: What does art do? Why do we need it?

Slated for release on 16 January 2025, by Faber, “What Art Does” isn’t just a treatise –  it’s a call to explore how art shapes our lives, our communities, and our futures.

With a focus on the human need for creativity and how art brings people together, the book delves into the question of why we make art and how it transforms us.

“It is an inspiring call to imagine a different future,” the book’s back cover reads, describing the contents as a “richly illustrated, playful and curious” exploration.

Eno, who has been a pivotal figure in music, art, and activism for decades, is no stranger to the idea of art as a force for change. His career spans from his groundbreaking work with Roxy Music and pioneering ambient music to producing for artists like U2, David Bowie, and Coldplay. Yet, throughout this time, he has also maintained a parallel career in the visual arts, focusing largely on light-based works.

As the co-founder of Earth Percent and the HardArt collective, Eno has long advocated for cultural change that drives social and environmental action. Now, through “What Art Does”, he teams up with Adriaanse to present a new theory of art that extends his previous thoughts on creativity.

Adriaanse, who co-founded the TRQSE network – a collective of artists and scientists engaged in social projects – first met Eno through this network. Their shared passion for art’s role in social change led to deep conversations about the function of creativity – and it was these conversations that formed the basis of their collaboration. “What Art Does” assembles the ideas Eno has developed throughout his artistic life into a singular work that challenges readers to rethink how art can serve us all.

The book explores not only traditional forms of art, like music and visual art, but also the cultural significance of everyday things like soap operas or the language of haircuts. In “What Art Does”, these “fictional worlds” are treated as vital components of our shared human experience. Eno and Adriaanse suggest that art, in all its forms, is essential to both our personal and collective well-being.

Eno’s approach to art has always been experimental and boundary-pushing, and the book’s release strategy reflects that same spirit of innovation. To kick things off, a limited edition of just 777 signed copies was released on 3 December 2024, each enclosed in a hand-painted slipcase designed by the authors. A black-and-white PDF version was also available for a week following the initial release, while it’s only from 16 January that the physical and eBook versions will be available to the general public.

All proceeds from the book will go to two important causes: Earth Percent, the environmental initiative co-founded by Eno, and The Heroines! Movement, a global non-profit dedicated to female empowerment.

For Eno, this book isn’t just an intellectual exercise; it’s another way of using art to spark positive change, and serves as a bridge between his eclectic body of work and his lifelong dedication to the idea that creativity can be a powerful force for social transformation.