ABSTRACT

Art clusters in cities are welcomed by planners, residents and business. In respect to an urban economy, art clusters are viewed as beneficial because of their contribution to neighbourhood ambience in ways likely to attract young professionals who possess, it is said, higher propensity for innovation and creativity. Clusters of art activity are also seen as place-makers that enhance liveability, an important asset in the contemporary spatial economy. Yet there is little empirical work which examines the forces that drive the location of these places of art and their connection to the urban economy. This paper takes art galleries in Sydney, Australia, as a case study. Using data from a comprehensive survey, interviews and direct observation, the study finds a peculiar story of art clustering. Sydney’s galleries are found to be concentrated in exclusive locations. The study finds powerful agglomeration forces, including opportunities for stable property tenure, adjacency to the city’s cultural institutions, input of government funding and the presence of wealthy buyers among local residents. Certainly, the agglomerations identified meet criteria for recognition as cultural districts, yet in ways different to the images of edgy neighbourhoods presented in the literature as the substance of art in a post-industrial city.

摘要

城市中的艺术集群受到规划者、居民和企业的欢迎。就城市经济而言，艺术集群被认为是有益的，因为它们对邻里氛围的贡献可能会吸引具有更高创新和创造力倾向的年轻专业人士。艺术活动集群也被视为提高宜居性的场所创造者，宜居性是当代空间经济的重要资产。然而，很少有实证工作研究推动这些艺术场所的位置及其与城市经济的联系的力量。本文以澳大利亚悉尼的美术馆为例。利用综合调查、访谈和直接观察的数据，该研究发现了艺术聚类的一个奇特故事。悉尼的画廊被发现集中在独特的地方。该研究发现了强大的集聚力量，包括稳定财产权的机会、与城市文化机构的毗邻、政府资金的投入以及当地居民中富裕买家的存在。当然，所确定的集聚区符合被认定为文化区的标准，但与文学中作为后工业城市艺术实质呈现的前卫街区形象不同。