Emerging economies and the culture boom

Emerging economies and the culture boom Written by: Emerging economies and the culture boom London, Paris and New York might visits rose by 75% and 118.8%, the world’s busiest art museum, be world leaders in museums and respectively, between 2012 overtaking the Louvre in Paris cultural institutions, but a growing and 2013 In the Middle East, the United Arab number of cities in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America are starting China has been erecting museums Emirates is boosting its cultural to provide serious competition and galleries at a prodigious offerings following a landmark rate, opening more than 100 new deal with the Louvre to build The three most-attended art institutions annually, including its first overseas site An “Abu exhibitions of 2013 were not in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural Dhabi Guggenheim” is also on its Europe or North America, but in District and Beijing’s National way, while Dubai is developing Taipei and Rio de Janeiro Art Museum of China In Beijing, a reputation as a contemporary planners are turning the 2008 art hub thanks to a new urban Last year Beijing’s National Museum Olympic Park into a cultural quarter cultural district called Alserkal of China was the third most-visited with an enormous new national Avenue Nearby Qatar is acquiring museum in the world, attracting art museum The 30,000-sq metre a private collection of modern 7.45m people, an increase of 38.7% institution – more than six times the and contemporary pieces and on 2012 Across Asia museum size of the current site - has been hosting the likes of Damien Hirst, attendance rose by 28% last designed by French architect Jean while Saudi Arabia is building the year, compared with a rise of 7% Nouvel and will house 100,000 King Abdulaziz Center for World globally, with particularly marked pieces of art from throughout Culture, which is set to open in 2015 increases at the Zhejiang Museum China’s history Due for completion in collaboration with the United in Hangzhou, China and the National in 2017, its management hopes to Kingdom’s Natural History Museum Palace Museum of Korea, where attract 12m visitors a year, which and the British Museum at current figures would make it Written by: In Latin America too, despite an art shrine”, Museo Júmex , while economic slowdown, government Colombia’s capital Bogotá now boasts bodies and private institutions are over 500 public and private cultural investing in new museums and art venues, including Maloka, the largest galleries In Brazil, the Museu de science and interactive technology Arte Rio opened in 2013, and the museum in South America highly anticipated Museu Amanhã in Rio de Janeiro and the São Paulo Museu da Imagem e Som are expected to open in 2015 and 2016 respectively Mexico has won critical acclaim for its new “contemporary Raising buildings, and raising questions What is driving such rapid building One driver of the boom is the and the rise of it, according to Mr of museums and art galleries in growth of the middle classes, which Gladston, who cautions against these emerging economies? Are the is increasing domestic demand for romantic notions to the contrary: public investments justified when cultural activities previously out of we readily embrace the narrative large swathes of the population reach for many in these countries of Vincent van Gogh as a struggling remain poor and lack basic services? The trend is no different to that of artist, when in fact his brother was a Is top-down cultural promotion the West Europe’s institutional art well-connected art dealer “Modern desirable, and can it be sustained? collections of today were amassed in and contemporary art has always And what does this growing appetite part by 18th-century nouveau riche been and continues to be very much for culture mean for the West and its buyers, says Paul Gladston, director tied to money,” says Mr Gladston institutions? These are among the of the Centre for Contemporary “But in the West we have tended questions that attend the rise East-Asian Cultural Studies at the to deny that because we want to of the culture industries in University of Nottingham in the UK enhance the critical credentials of emerging markets Art has always been about money the art, which is its selling point.” In the same way as they did in the A second catalyst of the culture see Asian countries wanting to try West, rising incomes in emerging boom is the ambition of cities to to replicate that – and in many cases markets are driving art viewing enhance their global profile Culture doing it bigger and better - to earn and collecting, and a “new cultural is critical to a city’s identity and its global standing and recognition by infrastructure is being formed”, appeal as a destination to live, work the West.” says Georgina Adam, an art market or travel in, and governments like commentator and author of Big to flex their cultural muscle through Dubai is also looking to museums Bucks: The Explosion of the Art their capital cities and the arts to assert its own cultural credentials “Dubai has Market in the 21st Century “Billions of new consumers have been Lyal White, director of the Centre evolved to become a cosmopolitan released onto the market, and for Dynamic Markets at the Gordon city in a very short period of time,” there are increasing numbers of Institute of Business Science (GIBS) said Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, people with disposable incomes,” at the University of Pretoria, South a real estate tycoon and Emirati she says, noting that both art and Africa, also identifies a “cultural patron of the Alserkal art district luxury goods are symbols of newly catch-up” at play “Emerging powers “It is not about being compared to acquired wealth in Asia “Entering still see the West as being other art capitals We have become the contemporary art market today progressive, and there is an element a hub for the region, and this is a is a way of showing that you have of wanting to catch up with the unique achievement” made money Collecting art is West,” he says “Certainly in Asia positional, a way of showing that there is a strong idea of what places you’ve arrived.” like Paris and Rome are, and you While promoting culture might be Such collaborations are not collections, but now that model has partly about catching up with the without their critics Some French been inverted “From a cultural West or a country asserting its own commentators have accused industrial point of view, it’s a credentials, there are synergies to the museum of selling out Jean marriage made in heaven,” says be had with established Western d’Haussonville, formerly head of Mr Gladston of the deals between institutions China, Brazil and Abu Agence France Museums, which emerging-market institutions and Dhabi have all sought deals with manages the development of the the West “You have countries with Western cultural brands The Louvre in Abu Dhabi, describes such a lot of surplus value and capital Louvre and the Guggenheim, under criticisms as ““shameful, close to which are hungry for culture, and construction on Saadiyat Island in xenophobia”, adding: “The money the West, which has that culture Abu Dhabi, will be part of a wider will restore France’s capacity as well as the brand: the in-depth a cultural quarter, parts of which to acquire pieces on the expertise, the reputations and the are due to open in 2015 While the international market.” collections of works.” Guggenheim has been a pioneer of overseas ventures, ranging from its Established institutions in Europe acclaimed Bilbao branch to its less and North America have long forged successful Las Vegas experiment, links with museums overseas These this is the first time that the Louvre partnerships used to be more about has allowed the use of its name Western museums enhancing their and brand China’s leap China’s cultural push has raised a different kind of controversy – a view that motivations are not so much about art as about politics As Ms Adam puts it: “China has made it clear that promoting culture is about soft power, [presenting to the world] a better face There is quite a lot of negative coverage of China, and they wanted to give a positive spin on what they are doing, to make people forget about clampdowns on individual groups.” Mr Gladston agrees that there has enough with the West, we have to contemporary art and culture was… been a strong centralised policy catch up, especially with America, After the second world war many push from the government to so let’s build these museums and developed countries, including promote culture “I think we are create a cultural infrastructure.’” Britain and America, deliberately looking at something similar to the pursued programmes of cultural Great Leap Forward and the five- He says this process is not promotion and soft power in relation year plans of the Maoist period,” he dissimilar to what happened in to contemporary art and the explains “You have the government the West after the second world proliferation of museums.” saying: ‘We don’t have enough war “I question just how organic museums and are not competitive the West’s development of An economic rationale? All of the economies described while this approach is less obvious But recent demonstrations during so far, except those of the Gulf, than spending, it nonetheless Brazil’s World Cup, which criticised have poverty challenges that raise represents a loss of tax revenue to the government’s spending questions about the wisdom of the state Brazil, for example, allows priorities, show that for all the high spending state funds on cultural corporations to direct 4% of owed attendance figures there is still a initiatives Most obvious is the tax income to cultural projects feeling that money could be better opportunity cost: money spent on According to Gegê Leme Joseph, a spent elsewhere cultural institutions is money not Brazilian architect and museologist, spent on sanitation or healthcare it is clear that Brazil is maximising Some experts believe that public Indeed, tough economic conditions its time in the spotlight between funding for culture, even in in South Africa since 2011 have led hosting the World Cup in 2014 and emerging economies, is justified to cultural projects fading from the the Olympics in 2016, deliberately on economic grounds Caroline political agenda Some governments trying to “punch above its weight” Watson, vice-chair of the World are experimenting with offering and letting people know that the Economic Forum’s Global Agenda corporate tax breaks to encourage country is about “more than football Council on the Arts in Society, says the investment of private funds; and Samba” there is compelling evidence of the contribution of culture to the economy “Economists have not always developing countries grew annually provides them with a platform for understood the relevance of by 12%, and that by 2011 world trade social and political agency and gives culture, but I think they are starting in creative goods and services was them a voice,” she says to realise there is an economic worth US$624bn Danielle Cliche, argument for promoting the arts,” senior UNESCO official, says the xSouth Africa, where Ms Joseph she says Ms Watson, founder of Hua creative sector represented between has worked on several major Dan, a theatre company and one 2% and 5% of most developing heritage projects, including the of China’s first social enterprises, countries’ GDP over this period and Nelson Mandela Museum, has adds: “As emerging markets well should be taken seriously as a driver used museums to inform national at meeting the basic needs of their for economic development dialogues in the post-apartheid era “A lot of money was put into people, to get to the next level of development they will need to look The Gulf’s investment in arts, cultural institutions to retell stories more profoundly at their education culture and museums, meanwhile, that hadn’t been told,” she says systems, and how they empower is a way of diversifying resource- “Museums were important in human potential The arts have reliant economies and creating helping to retell South Africa’s story much to offer and provide a basis new attractions for tourists It is and reshape its identity.” for the emergence of new forms of also a way to attract professional creativity that can fuel a country’s expatriates, who are needed to bring Constitution Hill, for example, is identity and economic growth.” innovation and expertise to newly a museum built on the site of an built cities old fort and jail where political prisoners, including Nelson The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) While stressing the economic Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Oliver is eager to highlight the economic returns on cultural investment, Ms Tambo, were held The museum is value of creative industries, Cliche also argues that culture offers also the site of the country’s new including everything from art, crafts, populations a political voice – an Constitutional Court, built with music, dance and film to toy design, important part of the development bricks from the old prison computer games and heritage In process “The creative economy its 2013 Creative Economy Report has non-monetary benefits, such as UNESCO says that between 2002 individual and cultural expression, and 2011 the creative industries in which empowers people and Arts can help urban regeneration, South Africa’s Johannesburg, also project, meanwhile, has transformed and citing the example of Medellín known for its high crime rates, a former industrial wasteland on in Columbia, where investment in has used cultural investments the eastern edge of the city centre culture has reduced high crime to revitalise districts such as into a vibrant urban community rates, Ms Cliche says: “There is a Braamfontein, where theatres, with artist studios, restaurants and strong argument that placing culture galleries, museums and concert entertainment venues, as well as loft at the heart of urban planning and spaces have now become attractions apartments, offices, a hotel and a development contributes to social for middle-class audiences museum wellbeing, giving new capacities and previously preferring to stay in the imperatives to create and innovate.” suburbs The Maboneng Precinct Sustaining culture A final question regarding the “Powerful marketing tools can The key to long-term success will emerging markets culture boom attract visitors for a while, but be for institutions to forge a unique concerns sustainability: will considerations of sustainability cultural identity that will draw in people continue to attend new not always get taken on board,” crowds, both domestic and foreign, exhibitions or will the novelty wear says Ms Joseph “There are some for the long term Some institutions off, leaving a stock of underused amazing big structures in Brazil that have learned their lessons, Ms institutions? Several of China’s attract many people to start with, Joseph says, citing the Museu new contemporary art galleries are but their long-term vision is poor, Futebol in São Paulo, which realised struggling to attract both content so their initial ‘bangs’ are huge, but that it needed to more than just and visitors, with crowds moving on then they find it harder to know how tell the story of football Whether to the next new place as quickly as to make it interesting for the long in developed or emerging markets, they arrived High-profile shows in term and how they will be able to cultural institutions that their voice Qatar have attracted disappointing attract audiences and continue to and identity will stand the test of numbers, raising questions about generate income.” She adds that the time whether the country – with its small Brazilian tax break has been “a nice population – has a sufficiently large mechanism … but the easy access to audience to make big museums money doesn’t force the planners of sustainable cultural projects to conceive them based on sustainable or entirely viable plans.” About this report Emerging economies and the culture boom was written by The Economist Intelligence Unit It examines the rise of museums, galleries and the arts across emerging markets, its drivers, its supporters and its critics The report is based on desk research and seven expert interviews The Economist Intelligence Unit would like to thank the following individuals (listed alphabetically) for sharing their insights and expertise during the research for this paper: Georgina Adam, art market editor-at-large, The Art Newspaper; art market columnist, Financial Times; and author of Big Bucks: The Explosion of the Art Market in the 21st Century Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, Emirati patron of Dubai’s Alserkal arts district Danielle Cliche, secretary of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and chief, Section on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at UNESCO Paul Gladston, associate professor of culture, film and media and director of the Centre for Contemporary East-Asian Cultural Studies at the University of Nottingham; and editor of the Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art Gegê Leme Joseph, Brazilian architect and museologist who worked in South Africa between 2004 and 2013 on heritage strategies and products for flagship museums including Constitutional Hill, the Nelson Mandela Museum and Kliptown Open Air Museum Caroline Watson, vice-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Arts in Society Lyal White, director of the Centre for Dynamic Markets, Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), University of Pretoria, South Africa [...]... report Emerging economies and the culture boom was written by The Economist Intelligence Unit It examines the rise of museums, galleries and the arts across emerging markets, its drivers, its supporters and its critics The report is based on desk research and seven expert interviews The Economist Intelligence Unit would like to thank the following individuals (listed alphabetically) for sharing their... content so their initial ‘bangs’ are huge, but that it needed to do more than just and visitors, with crowds moving on then they find it harder to know how tell the story of football Whether to the next new place as quickly as to make it interesting for the long in developed or emerging markets, they arrived High-profile shows in term and how they will be able to cultural institutions that their voice... insights and expertise during the research for this paper: Georgina Adam, art market editor-at-large, The Art Newspaper; art market columnist, Financial Times; and author of Big Bucks: The Explosion of the Art Market in the 21st Century Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, Emirati patron of Dubai’s Alserkal arts district Danielle Cliche, secretary of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity... Expressions and chief, Section on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at UNESCO Paul Gladston, associate professor of culture, film and media and director of the Centre for Contemporary East-Asian Cultural Studies at the University of Nottingham; and editor of the Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art Gegê Leme Joseph, Brazilian architect and museologist who worked in South Africa between 2004 and 2013... audiences and continue to and identity will stand the test of numbers, raising questions about generate income.” She adds that the time whether the country – with its small Brazilian tax break has been “a nice population – has a sufficiently large mechanism … but the easy access to audience to make big museums money doesn’t force the planners of sustainable cultural projects to conceive them based...Sustaining culture A final question regarding the “Powerful marketing tools can The key to long-term success will emerging markets culture boom attract visitors for a while, but be for institutions to forge a unique concerns sustainability: will considerations of sustainability do cultural identity that will draw in people continue to attend new not always get taken on board,” crowds, both domestic and foreign,... museologist who worked in South Africa between 2004 and 2013 on heritage strategies and products for flagship museums including Constitutional Hill, the Nelson Mandela Museum and Kliptown Open Air Museum Caroline Watson, vice-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Arts in Society Lyal White, director of the Centre for Dynamic Markets, Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS),... domestic and foreign, exhibitions or will the novelty wear says Ms Joseph “There are some for the long term Some institutions off, leaving a stock of underused amazing big structures in Brazil that have learned their lessons, Ms institutions? Several of China’s attract many people to start with, Joseph says, citing the Museu do new contemporary art galleries are but their long-term vision is poor, Futebol ... plans.” About this report Emerging economies and the culture boom was written by The Economist Intelligence Unit It examines the rise of museums, galleries and the arts across emerging markets, its.. .Emerging economies and the culture boom London, Paris and New York might visits rose by 75% and 118.8%, the world’s busiest art museum, be world leaders in museums and respectively,... the UK enhance the critical credentials of emerging markets Art has always been about money the art, which is its selling point.” In the same way as they did in the A second catalyst of the culture