Painting the Nation: Examining the Intersection Between Politics and the Visual Arts Market in Emerging Economies

Victoria Rodner, Chloe Preece

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

188 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Politics and art have throughout history, intersected in diverse and complex ways. Ideologies and political systems have used the arts to create a certain image and, depending on the form of government this has varied from clear-cut state propaganda, to patronage, to more indirect arms-length funding procedures. Therefore, artists working within the macro-level socio-political context cannot help but be influenced, inspired and sometimes restricted by these policies and political influences. This article examines the contemporary art markets of two emerging, Socialist economies to investigate the relationship between state politics and the contemporary visual arts market. We argue that the respective governments and art worlds are trying to construct a brand narrative for their nations, but that these discourses are often at cross-purposes. In doing so, we illustrate that it is impossible to separate a consideration of the artwork from the macro-level context in which it is produced, distributed, and consumed.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)128-148
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of Macromarketing
Volume36
Issue number2
Early online date5 Mar 2015
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2016

Keywords

  • Art
  • Macromarketing
  • Creativity
  • Branding
  • China
  • Venezuela
  • Emerging and transitioning markets
  • Policy

Cite this