Introduction
The 2026–2027 course on creative work will continue its exploration of one of the research areas to which Pierre-Michel Menger devoted his work: the arts. The 2025–2026 course demonstrated how the arts constitute a rich yet enigmatic subject for the social sciences. But just how far should analysis venture when examining the inventiveness of artists and the originality of their works? Is there such a thing as a comprehensive science of art? Or should we more wisely rely on the division of labor among disciplines and place our faith in the value of collaboration—as well as competition—between different approaches? The course will, in particular, conduct several analyses of works of art to illustrate the challenges, controversies, and advances along this line of inquiry.