Regional gods: the emergence of new geographies in the world of fine arts and creativity

Abstract

It is a given that today we live in a global market and – however damaged – in a global economy. The corporate drive to globalization has created greatly uniform offerings, with good benefits for consumers worldwide. People, however, are not just global marketing targets. The fine arts and applied arts sectors, with their nuanced cultural distinctions, will be our opportunity to find again the local dimension of emerging art markets. Here we introduce a number of insights into the new countries of fine arts and design: Japan, China, India, and Brazil. Parallel with this, the chapter moves from the luxury of Japanese high culture and wealthy individuals to the vibrancy of street art in underprivileged Brazil. Across our five “findings” consideration moves from the understanding of the local history of culture in Japan to the challenges ahead in the Chinese creative industry scene, including and beyond the world of fine art itself. What more inspiring way is there to continue our path of search and discovery across the world of fine arts than by looking at different regions from the viewpoint of creativity and its processes?