Working in middleground mode: Creative communities and intermediary institutions
Middlegrounds allow essential interactions between the innovation needs of upperground institutions and the creative productions of underground actors. We explore the hypothesis that these entities are at the heart of a broader institutional creation dynamic. We articulate, on four case studies, the concepts of middleground (Simon, 2009), intermediary institution (Sainsaulieu, 2001), idea of work and person-institution (Hauriou, 1925) and conflict (Simmel, 1908). The case studies reveal sophisticated articulations between middlegrounds, uppergrounds and undergrounds and show that “working n middleground mode” could constitute one of the necessary betweennesses in the current transformations of our societies.