Lindal Group embraces ‘graffiti’ at its new innovation center

Art or vandalism? That's been a long-standing debate regarding graffiti.

While some dismiss graffiti as nothing but an eyesore, its origins actually are found on the inscriptions, figure drawings, and such, found on the walls of ancient sepulchers or ruins, as in the Catacombs of Rome or at Pompeii. Modern times have evolved the term to describe graphics applied on a surface as vandalism. There's your history lesson for the day.

Anyway, I was somewhat intrigued to read that The Lindal Group, an aerosol packaging provider, commissioned a graffiti art mural, which is displayed on the exterior of the company's new global innovation center. In fact, according to the website The Original Fat Cap Chair (which in case you are wondering, produces a chair in the shape of a cap) credits the Lindal Group's development of models of spray caps designed for graffiti and street-art artists, as contributing to the "artistic improvement and skills of all people using spray cans."

The two artists commissioned by Katharina Lilienthal, Lindal Group's VP innovation & new product development, created what the company calls an "eye-popping fresco that now boldly adorns the exterior of the company's new global innovation center." This facility is designed to leverage the company's global aerosol expertise and further support customers in development of new-generation packaging solutions. 

The global innovation center is based in Briey, France, and is "another example of Lindal Group's commitment to long-term strategic planning that ensures future success for the company's worldwide aerosol customers," according to Lindal's Lilienthal. The official launch event for the facility is set for the first quarter of 2014.

The Lindal Group develops and manufactures valves, actuators and spray caps for aerosol products used in pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food applications.

Lindal Group's innovation center is designed as an R&D hub that the company says will improve time-to-market, speed commercialization of new products and enhance overall quality. The hub structure is characterized by a strong center, where all research and advanced development activities are based, and local satellites, which focus upon pre-defined technological fields with a regional context, which assures optimal local market expertise.

The innovation consists of five departments, which include development and engineering, central laboratory, technical and market watch, tool room and industrialization department.

So clearly in the graffiti as 'art' or 'vandalism' debate, Lindal seems to lean to the art side.