Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

except in South Africa. Recently steps havebeen taken to improve the structure of themusic industry, mainly through private initiativesby African music stars such as YoussouN’Dour in Senegal and Salif Keita in Mali aswell as by professional associations.Government intervention is needed to supportthese efforts, enact supportive fiscal regulationsand mechanisms for microcredit forindependent artists and reinforce IPR regimesin a more favourable manner.5.6.3 Visual artsFeaturesIn the visual arts, value inheres in theexclusivity and originality of an artwork. Themore rare it is, the more value it is likely to have.Sales are highly personalized, and products arecreated with a uniqueness that makes works ofart hardly comparable. Consequently, each piecehas its own value, which can vary over time,making each transaction a unique deal.Table 5.14RankArt markets operate differently in developedand developing economies. Auction salesare predominant in developed economies anduncommon in the developing world. Whilemost sales in major markets take place in galleriesand museums, artwork in developingeconomies is typically traded informally in fleamarkets targeting tourists. Owing to the limited number offormalized structures, appropriate legislation and social safetynets, few artists from developing countries are able to surviveas full-time artists. Awareness of artist’s rights is usuallylimited. Moreover, most artists are vulnerable and unpreparedfor negotiating with curators, collectors, dealers and buyers. 19Performing arts: Top 10 exporters amongdeveloped economies, 20081 Germany 5,651 21.62 23.162 United States 3,642 13.93 23.173 Netherlands 2,138 8.18 17.294 Austria 1,600 6.12 4.345 Ireland 1,569 6.00 15.386 United Kingdom 1,562 5.98 6.367 Sweden 1,115 4.27 20.428 Japan 940 3.60 38.489 France 934 3.57 8.7810 Czech Republic 670 2.56 58.81Source: UNCTAD, based on official data in UN COMTRADE databaseTable 5.15RankExporterExporterValue (inmillions of $)Marketshare (%)2008 2008Performing arts: Top 10 exporters amongdeveloping economies, 2008Value (inmillions of $)Marketshare (%)2008 2008Growthrate (%)2003-20081 Singapore 1,084 4.15 84.372 China 723 2.77 36.653 China, Hong Kong SAR 634 2.43 31.374 Mexico 361 1.38 1.105 China, Taiwan Province of 155 0.59 -14.046 Korea, Republic of 110 0.42 17.907 India 69 0.26 -0.758 Argentina 27 0.10 12.079 United Arab Emirates 24 0.09 -7.0910 Turkey 21 0.08 13.87Source: UNCTAD, based on official data in UN COMTRADE databaseGrowthrate (%)2003-2008Contemporary art from developing economies isreceiving increasing attention in world markets. There is alsorenewed interest in original art rooted in indigenous traditionalknowledge. New Internet-based delivery networksoffer new opportunities for international exposure of visualarts from the South. Furthermore, international expositionsand trade fairs such as the biennales of Cairo, Dakar, Havanaand São Paulo have become part of the international art calendarand are contributing to the promotion of artworkwithin regions and internationally.The visual arts category of creative industries comprisesantiques, painting, sculpture and photography as well as the“other visual arts”, a loose category consisting of engravings,carvings, lithographs, collages and other ornaments. The categorizationof the products in this subgroup is more precise,but due to tax regulations and trade secrets reported figuresdo not always correspond to final deals. Some exports ofvisual art and antiques are restricted or prohibited by governmentsto preserve cultural identity, national heritage or theenvironment, including wildlife, as in the case of the embargoin many countries of exports of artworks made of ivory.In the field of visual arts, there are controversial issuesregarding the application of intellectual property rights for5International trade in creative goods and services: Global trends and features19 ILO (2003). Promoting the Culture Sector through Job Creation and Small Enterprise Development in SADC Countries.CREATIVE ECONOMY REPORT 2010147