Anyway, it is good to broaden your perspective by going to places like museums and art galleries, you never know when an idea you absorb in passing from a painting or ancient artefact might make a connection for something new you end up constructing. It can definitely be applicable to business as well and might be the tweak needed to make something profitable.
Reading this reminded me of an experience 15 years ago, when I sold simple, very inexpensive sculptures for table decorations or shell keychains to the US and European markets, charging many times the price. These crafts rarely sold in the local market, perhaps only bought by local tourists at tourist attractions as souvenirs. I was personally amazed that they could sell so well in the US and Europe.
From this, I concluded that art and cultural objects have subjective value and creativity, so that even seemingly trivial items can be valued highly, sometimes unreasonably, by others. I see this phenomenon not only in paintings or other works of art, but also in music, fashion, games, and even digital memes. Creative goods are born not from materials, but from the meaning and uniqueness of the experience attached to them. Their value is determined by perception, meaning, and social context. So, the value of art is not in the object itself, but in the meaning attached to it. People don't buy paint on a canvas; they buy stories, symbols, and feelings. Price doesn't reflect material value, but emotional and social value.
As a store of perception, art objects can accumulate cultural capital that impacts the real economy, even though their value is unstable. If gold is a store of financial value (based on scarcity and trust), then art objects are a store of cultural value (based on meaning and social legitimacy). When an artist's or cultural reputation increases, the value of that asset soars, creating a wealth effect for the owner and the nation.
In the digital age, value is often determined by attention. The more people talk about a work, the higher its perceived value, even if its substance is simple. Value is not just about what is created, but who pays attention to it. High-value art objects are usually irreplicable; their supply remains constant, but social demand for symbols, status, and identity continues to increase with the rise of the global middle class. This creates the phenomenon of classic works (Picasso, Van Gogh) continuing to appreciate in value even after they are no longer in production. Local cultural products can surge in price when they enter the global radar.
Very much possible but trying to recreate another Kpop or whoever is popular will not work, it has to happen on it's own which will happen if the local people appreciate the art and mbrace it. Each and every culture got uniqueness in this world so it all depends on how manage to promote it and reach the screen of other countries which will increase the interest over the time if it's worth enjoying.
This will lead to overlapping cultural claims, as often happens between my country and Malaysia. For example, batik (a traditional Indonesian art that involves dyeing cloth using a technique using wax to hold the color in certain patterns). Suddenly, Malaysia is marketing Malaysian Batik globally. What even angered Indonesians the most was when the influencer ishowspeed came to Malaysia, Malaysian people said that batik originated from Malaysia. Even though UNESCO validated Indonesian Batik (2009) to clarify its origin.
Art and culture is not just an economic sector; it holds soft power, attracts tourism, and has the capacity to create an exportable identity. With policy support, infrastructure investment, digital adoption, and diaspora activation, countries can transform culture into a durable foreign exchange earner and create a multiplier effect on employment, tourism, and related industries.
Mass arts and culture/popular culture industries (K-pop, Hollywood, Bollywood, Japanese streetwear, or anime) contribute directly to employment, taxes, royalties, and service exports. This sector is scalable, adaptable, and generates regular consumption, driving domestic consumption. Therefore, it can be considered an economic engine that generates income, jobs, and cultural diplomacy, while being vulnerable to trends and oversaturation.
Many countries have achieved economic prosperity through tourism thanks to their art and culture from previous ages. Until these days you see people going to Italy to visit The Colosseum, or to Egypt to visit the Pyramids of Giza. If it wasn't for this culture, probably there would be low interest for such countries, as that is a fascinating element to play with the imaginary of foreigners, also due to all the representations they have been in contact with through movies, documentaries, tv shows and pictures.
The richer a country is culturally and artistically, the richer it must be financially as well.
The strategic combination of two major branches of the arts and culture economy (popular culture and high-value art) can create a significant wave of income because pop culture drives cash flow, employment, and soft power, while fine art builds prestige, long-term assets, and cross-generational national brand value. The two should not be separated; the former feeds the creative economy, while the latter provides life and long-term value to the nation.
Successful examples include France, which combines the film and fashion industries with museums and fine art. Japan, with its anime, games, and street fashion, coexists with high-value traditional and contemporary art. China, meanwhile, supports its domestic art market (art fairs, museums) while simultaneously exporting culture through film and digital media.
