The global art city

There is an affinity between the dynamics of the art world and the dynamics of the city. The arts are used by policy makers, businesses and communities to position their cities, so as to attract investments, visitors and skilled workers. And in turn the city is conducive for artists to practice and sell their craft. The symbiotic and intertwined relations between the city and the arts have led Jean Baudrillard, a philosopher well regarded by art theorists and critics, to consider art a ‘conspiracy’ (Baudrillard and Lotringer, 2005). He was angry with the exploitation of the arts for non-art purposes. He took a skeptical and critical view of the arts, and was peeved that the arts have become more about big business and extravagant shows organized by multinational corporations. He was similarly angered that these profit-focused art activities demand to be treated with reverence and awe. Society’s relationship with the arts has evolved over the centuries (Boll, 2011; Cuno, 2006; Edwards, 1999; Ivey, 2008; Weintraub, 2003). Art is now about more than aesthetics and beauty, it is also about politics, business and society. The art world thrives in the urban milieu and, at the same time, the art world is incorporated into city-making and urban development policies. The art city evolves from a mixture of policy, circumstances and deliberate promotion. This chapter looks at this mixture.