15 research outputs found
Populism in Venezuela: When Discourse Derails Institutionalized Practice
No full textDiscourse is important to society as it encapsulates who we are and how we think and, through habitualized practice, justifies the way we do things. Over time and through practice, socially constructed discourses become fact-like, thereby ensuring their continuity and relevancy for society. Once habitualized, practices may appear fixed and constant, unless of course, there is a change in discourse. Here I examine one such case where a shift in the overarching discourse has had a very palpable effect on society, namely Venezuelan society. Cases such as Venezuela’s reveals very vividly how a shift in discourse affects organizational practice and, naturally, society as a whole. My research explores how the late President Hugo Chávez used language and rhetoric to alter previously habitualized practices and redirect discourse towards ideals of Populism and Inclusionism. By focusing on the visual arts, I show how the introduction of a Populist discourse derailed the organizational practices of Venezuela’s museums and government funded art projects, and also how this new discourse painted a very different image of Venezuela for audiences both at home and abroad
Ruchir Sharma, Breakout Nations (2013)
No full textFirst paragraph: Breakout Nations is an international bestseller. It has been heralded by the Wall Street Journal (and other similar outlets) as the 'best choice' out there on our 'ongoing developing world'. The full title of this 2013 book is Breakout Nations – In Pursuit of the Next Economic Miracles, and it is published by W.W. Norton & Company, in New York.Output Type: Book Revie
My Love Affair with Grounded Theory: Making the Passion Work in the "Real" World
No full textGrounded theory offers the interpretive researcher a cornucopia of possibilities. Thanks to its theory-generating ethos, grounded theory is open and flexible and applicable to a variety of research settings. Furthermore, it can be used as a method, a framework, an analytical tool, and a paradigm. For the purposes of inductive research, grounded theory is very alluring and many qualitative scholars fall for its theory-building promise. Few, however, embrace the paradigm for all that it has to offer, despite claiming to being grounded in their approach to generating theory. Here I share my own passion for grounded theory: from the epistemological journey that led me to the paradigm, to pragmatically applying the method to my own research. Grounded theory is best equipped for furthering our understanding of complex social phenomena, providing us with the tools to generate rich, innovative data-driven theory, making our adoption of the method a truly lovely affair
The Art Machine: Dynamics of a Value Generating Mechanism for Contemporary Art
No full textPurpose – This paper aims to deconstruct the validation process for contemporary art with a fresh take on the components and terminology of this process, here referred to as the art machine. Design/methodology/approach – Existing literature is analysed and key theoretical aspects combined to support the theory that an art machine exists that may process contemporary art for legitimation, sustainability and market success. Findings – Roles played by art professionals and institutions within what is pioneered in this paper as the art machine frequently overlap. Opportunities for success are maximised when and if artists, art schools, galleries, critics, auction houses, museums and collectors manage to work in unison towards the common goal of optimal symbolic and financial value for the contemporary art market. Research limitations/implications – A clear and intelligible deconstruction of the art machine’s interacting components should enable interested agents in both established and emerging art markets to better operate mechanisms towards short-term marketing objectives and long-term sustainability within the highly competitive and fluid art environment. Originality/value – Existing literature recognises layered spheres of activity that may combine for success in an art market seeking increasing symbolic and financial value and sustainability. This article innovatively pictures the dynamic, interlocking mechanisms in this on-going, one-way process of turning inconspicuous raw materials into a valued end-product: this is the art machine
Consumer Transits and Religious Identities: Towards a Syncretic Consumer
No full textThe majority of research on religious consumption assumes stable, singular and exclusive preferences, an individual is an adherent to one religion at a time and conversion is a radical break in identity. In examining a context where individuals can simultaneously practice multiple religions despite seemingly theologically incompatible beliefs, we introduce the concept of religious transit, allowing for a more processual understanding of religious identity. To do so, we draw on theories of religious capital, foregrounding the flexibility of this resource in enabling multifarious religious consumption. This is made possible by the religious leaders themselves; in highlighting shared rituals and discourses, they downplay any cognitive incongruences to allow for easy, market-mediated accessibility. By conceptualising four types of religious consumption we theorise the dynamics of consumer mobility
The Brand-wagon: Emerging Art Markets and the Venice Biennale
No full textPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether and how participating in a branded Biennale (Venice) may legitimate and promote selected artists from the emerging markets of Venezuela and Thailand alongside art market leaders. Design/methodology/approach – Research was conducted at the 53rd International Art Biennale in Venice, Italy, in June 2009. Underpinned by a constructivist approach, qualitative data were collected via participant observation, illustrative photography and semi-structured interviews (average interview time 55 minutes) with curators and participating artists from two emerging markets: Venezuela and Thailand. Findings – This research indicates that merely attending the Venice Biennale does not mean automatic branding for success: each artist’s signature style must stand out within its cultural context for the branding effect to succeed. The conclusion compares and contrasts the effective relationship between identification and success for the two emerging economies within the world-leader arts event in Venice. Originality/value – This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on arts management and events management, focusing on the until now unexplored area of contemporary arts marketing for the emerging economies of Venezuela and Thailand. The paper may aid emerging market art professionals in their strategy and planning to better benefit from the Venice Biennale’s branding opportunity, as well as guiding scholarly research to a better understanding of the area
From Modernism to Populism - Art as a Discursive Mirror of the Nation Brand
No full textPurpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role played by the visual arts in expressing and shaping the nation brand. In doing so, it establishes the centrality of visual discourse in nation branding; illustrating that discursive strategies can directly alter the nation brand’s perception. Design/methodology/approach This single case study drawing on in-depth interviews, field observation and secondary/historical material, applies mediated discourse analysis and critical discourse analysis to capture a transitional period in the cultural policies and nation branding rhetoric across a time frame of 60 years. Findings This study establishes the visual arts as a significant carrier of meaning, thus reflecting changes in the national discourse. This analysis illustrates that publicly supported visual arts can articulate policy aspirations and provide insight into the power of competing national discourse which co-exists, thereby shaping the internal and external nation brand. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on the visual arts and the context of Venezuela. Future research could expand this to look at the visual arts in other national or regional contexts. Practical implications The paper establishes visual art as central to expressing national identity and policy, and a tool for examination of national identity and policy. More broadly, the paper establishes public support for the (visual) arts as central to nation-branding projects providing insight for those engaged in such campaigns to prioritize arts funding. Originality/value The authors’ study indicates the marketing relevance of visualization of the nation through the arts and establishes the visual arts as a central tenant of the nation brand
The art of branding − lessons from visual artists
No full textPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of the field of visual arts marketing in the development of wider branding theory and practice. Drawing on examples from visual artists and the art mechanism that connects them, the paper reveals how artists and art professionals foster various types of capital (social, cultural, symbolic) as a way of developing a brand name, ensuring longevity in the field, and gaining financial value on the market. Design/methodology/approach – As a conceptual paper, the authors draw on a range of published works as well as examples from the world of visual arts in order to provide fresh theoretical insight into how branding in the arts may be applied to other industries. Findings – The key findings are the importance of the consideration of the development and nurturing of social and cultural capital in developing brand identity. Additionally, visual art brands are required to be innovative and dynamic, and lessons learned regarding these processes have relevance for mainstream brands. The paper also found that creativity is often collective and that looking to methods for developing work in the visual arts can be utilised by brand managers more broadly in the age of social media and user generated content. Originality/value – This paper follows on the developing body of work, which indicates what mainstream business can learn from looking at the visual arts. The paper highlights the collective nature of creativity in building the art brand as well as the importance of non-economic measures of value in the realm of branding
Painting the Nation:Examining the Intersection Between Politics and the Visual Arts Market in Emerging Economies
No full textPolitics 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
