The critique and affirmation of market-based cultural policy in the Finnish visual arts field during the 2000s and 2010s
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17409/kpt.137985Abstract
The effects of market-based cultural policy and the so-called managerial turn on art worlds
and culture in Finland are diverse. The transition from the era of an extensive welfare state
to that of a market-based cultural policy has not occurred without critical debate. This article examines the discursive positions formed in Finnish visual arts policy regarding market-based cultural policy during the years 2000–2020. The research hypothesis of the article suggests that market-based cultural policy has divided individuals in the arts and cultural sectors into opposing camps. It posits that the cultural policy emphases of the welfare state era, along with the modernist conception of art – and thus the legitimization of high art – have influenced attitudes towards market-based cultural policy. The aims of market-based cultural policy have been perceived both as threats and as opportunities within the Finnish visual arts field.
