Forging New Partnerships. The Gains to Be Made From Closer Contact between Economics and the Arts

This paper analyses the association between art, cultural heritage and economic and financial logics, a coexistence that seems particularly difficult inItaly. Since ancient times, and with particular emphasis during the industrial revolution, the two worlds have had a conflicting relationship. Just in recent times the economic science and the academia have begun to get closer to art and culture, considered in their broadest sense. In the past, the quantitative and empirical bases distinguishing economic science were too far and aloof to allow the two realities to effectively cooperate, trusting each other. The key point under discussion here is the concepts of economic and financial sustainability; a major point for any initiative for a manager, a constraint and sometimes reason for unacceptable compromises for the artist. Thus, the research question to be posed is: are culture and economic science two worlds that can communicate?