ArCA

(Archive of Corporate Apologies)

I’m currently focusing on this project as part of my time with the Roundtable Residency.

When I worked in sustainable development I was tasked to set up and run a due diligence system to assess the advisability of engaging with potential donors and operational partners. Due to the geographical areas in which we operated, we were frequently of interest to entities concerned with CSR and green operations for a variety of reasons. I would investigate their track record, whether there were indicators of them being unreliable or reckless.

Essentially: were they “bad operators”? If they had had major scandals or lawsuits, how long ago were these? Had they attempted to repair the situation?

In my 7 years in due diligence research and analysis I looked into anything from mining companies and pharmaceuticals to local government agencies and millionaires. Over the years I came accross a slew of corporate apologies and settlement deals. The art of the corporate apology can feature a range of qualities, which can include fear, arrogance, entitlement, genuine dread and remorse, etc. It can be issued by a human, by an entity, or by a human as entity.

I’ve started collecting corporate apologies and the incidents that surround them and have elaborated a taxonomy for them. I am building the archive and developing a website that will include a game.

The ArCA prototype will be launched in 2024.