Reconciling culture and economy

Artists and bankers, professors and salesmen, curators and lawyers, government officials and computer engineers...

An interesting mixture of people - all from China and Germany. What they were discussing is of even more interest: How should the love-hate relationship between culture and economy develop today when everyone is a link on the social Internet, a web of associations.

"Culture and economy are not necessarily enemies. Nor are they parallel lines that can never meet. The two can be partners who inspire and support each other," said Vice-Minister of Culture Meng Xiaosi during a recent international symposium titled "Culture: The Key to Success."

The event, held at Beijing University, was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture's market department, Beijing University's art studies department and the Sino-German Foundation of Cultural History, Art and Technology.

Enterprise culture, arts and culture management, and cultural sponsorship were major issues discussed at the symposium.

"Culture and economy can prosper together in a win-win situation, alleviating the economic poverty of culture as well as the cultural poverty of economy," Meng said.
This conceptual transformation, she said, is especially important and urgent in further developing the fledgling arts and culture industry in China, which has long suffered from the lack of link between culture and economy.

Holger Green, the German Embassy's cultural counselor, said the prosperity of culture, which is a necessity for human beings, is a task of the government and of enterprises. Enterprises can also benefit from the cultural progress of society and the growth of their own enterprise culture, he said.

As compared with their Chinese counterparts, German enterprises play a more active role in the cultural arena, since the concept of corporate sponsorship of the arts has widely taken hold in Germany.

In addition to sponsoring and funding cultural development, many enterprises have established trusting and respectful co-operative relationships with cultural circles, said Anna-Maria Ehrman-Schindelbeck, director of the cultural department for Jenoptic AG, a German company.

Investing in the arts can sometimes be more effective in stimulating sales than traditional advertising, she added.

Although cultural investment from private enterprises only accounts for 7 per cent of Germany's total investment in the arts, such funding provides a necessary supplement to insufficient government funding, Ehrman-Schindelbeck said.

Tang Xu, professor and dean of the Beijing graduate school of the People's Bank of China, said it is a traditional practice for Chinese enterprises to create a harmonious working environment and raise efficiency by encouraging staff to take part in cultural activities such as artistic performances and art exhibitions.

With the development of China's economy and the transformation of the enterprise system, companies are realizing the commercial significance of corporate sponsorship of the arts. Some enterprises have begun to support high-level performance troupes and collect works of art either as a means of investment or to raise their social profile, Tang said.

But some experts criticize that most Chinese enterprises do not do enough to sponsor cultural projects.

In their defence, some say the economic problems plaguing many Chinese enterprises, especially State-owned enterprises, and the relatively low education levels of some entrepreneurs prevent them from sponsoring cultural projects.

As Chinese enterprises become more aware of "management by culture" and corporate sponsorship, cultural sectors have also experienced rapid transformation under the market economy.

For many years, management of culture in China was a government affair. Culture was primarily regarded as a means of ideological education, said Liu Yuzhu, deputy director of the Ministry of Culture's market department.

With China's pending WTO entry, Liu said, foreign investment, private funding and shareholding will increase in the country's cultural sectors, challenging the old management system and function of cultural products.

In addition to being a means of entertainment and education, cultural products will increasingly become commodities like any other, Liu said.

So China's cultural market will have to make sure its products meet consumer demand, he said.

To meet the new demand, legislation on the cultural sectors should also be strengthened, for instance, by protecting the intellectual property rights of cultural products, Liu added.

Chinese and German experts at the symposium agree that China's cultural market, which covers sales of entertainment goods and higher art, has great potential despite current difficulties and challenges.

They suggest in-depth reform to make the management of arts and culture organizations more market-oriented and preferential tax policies to increase corporate sponsorship of the arts.

During the symposium, German experts discussed their country's management of non-profit arts and cultural projects.

Non-profit organizations for arts and culture should learn from for-profit enterprises to better manage their funds and resources, said Helmut Assfalg, a professor of management from Fachhochschule Jena University.

"Non-profit does not mean money-losing and management-less," he noted.
For-profit enterprises can also learn from non-profit organizations in motivating their staff with ideals, instead of making them more enthusiastic about their work simply by paying them more, Assfalg said.

"Cultural relations are an important part of trade between countries, because the exchange of commodities also means exchange of experiences, knowledge and culture," remarked Ernst H. Behrens, president of Siemens Ltd China.

He said the links between China and Germany have entered a new era, with closer and more diverse co-operation beyond the exchange of commodities and technology.

"The symposium is a successful attempt that turns differences into inspiration via communication between different disciplines and cultures," said Zhu Qingsheng, a Beijing University art professor and major organizer of the symposium.

"It signifies wider and deeper spaces for co-operation between culture and economy in the future," Zhu added.

Date: 03/20/2000
Author: YANG YINGSHI, China Daily staff
Copyright? by China Daily

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