The Golden Crossroads

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. General introduction

   1. General introduction

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 1-5

3. Methodologies and Perspectives

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 9-11

      PDF

   2. The Golden Crossroads Manifesto

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 6-7

   3. The approach taken in this book

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 12-22

   4. Diverse perspectives on the fine arts

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 23-41

4. Protagonists

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 43-45

      PDF

   2. Psychology of the arts: how it works for work

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 46-67

   3. Manifestos, propaganda, and the art of marketing

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 68-87

5. Relationships and Museums

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 89-91

      PDF

   2. The art of relationships: from communities to collections

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 92-112

   3. Between “ideology” and “space:” the museum experience

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 113-133

6. Futures

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 135-138

      PDF

   2. Design: directions towards the future

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 139-158

   3. Regional gods: the emergence of new geographies in the world of fine arts and creativity

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 159-179

   4. The future of fine arts — according to public opinion

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 180-196

7. Conclusions

   1. Conclusions

      • Marco Bevolo

      Pages 197-209

8. Back Matter

   Pages 211-227

   PDF

This book looks at the field of fine arts, design and culture as an alternative source of inspiration for ways to work. It is a book about a better future for brand marketing and business leadership, thanks to the dreams and the visions of artists, designers and other creative industry leaders.

• brand
• design
• marketing
• structural geology

'The Golden Crossroads' is a deeply insightful examination of the confluence of art, culture, and business touching upon the pivotal trends of the past and present while highlighting the opportunities that lay before us. Marco Bevolo's prophetic words "what matters most is inspiration and action" should remain at the forefront of our imagination as we seek to define new cultural experiences.' - Bruce Mau, Designer and Thought Leader, Chicago

'What began as a straightforward attempt to look at a (then) hyper-active and turbo-charged art market and the mechanics of art marketing and the culture industries, was twisted and turned in new directions by the 'global financial crisis'. Bevolo now calls for an end to the rule of the MBA-ocrasy that got us into this mess and a thorough integration of art and design mindedness and methods into the wider business and branding world. Bevolo is blessedly clear-eyed about some of the more cynical and one-dimensional attempts by the luxury goods players to come off as renaissance patrons. What he is proposing is far more radical and it makes for a thrilling and clearly structured manifesto for a better commercial world.' - Nick Compton, Editor, Wallpaper*, London

'In a business world that has lost its reference points, this book gives a fresh new view. It gives to the business community a vision and an inspiration for how to move forward.' - Candido Peterlini, VP Product Innovation, Fiat Group Automobiles, Turin

'Marco's 21st Century manifesto deserves to do for business what Marinetti's 20th Century Futurismo manifesto did for the arts. With his impassioned plea to put people, creativity and culture at the centre of business enterprise, his message is both timely and inspiring.' - John Kearon, Chief Juicer of BrainJuicer Group PLC, London

"This book shows us very fundamental insights albeit ones we've been missing these past years. Art is essentially the same as business in terms of expression of 'vision', either through artefact or product/service. As brand consultant, I highly recommend this book not only to anyone in art-related field but also to key people who lead in business." - Rieko Shofu, Executive Manager, Hakuhodo, Tokyo

'This is a challenging and ambitious book. It shows what art, design and culture have to offer the world of business in terms of aesthetics and appeal, even entertainment. Exploring this interface is surely critical to our future, and the authors eleven point 'manifesto' is full of useful and important insights that can only help to put greater humanity into our lives and decisions. Given the magnitude of the crisis facing the world today, we certainly need all the help we can get.' - Dr Bruce Lloyd, Emeritus Professor of Strategic Management, London South Bank University.

'With this book, Marco actually asks business leaders to think the un-thinkable, to start the impossible; namely to re-establish an ideology that fights the opportunism of the traditional leadership approach, which has clearly failed. Marco shows how business leaders can create new wealth if they make use of the findings that art can give them.' - Johannes Hartman, VP, CMI Western Europe, Unilever, Rotterdam

"The author introduces a whole new way of thinking about fine arts, design and culture and business success. This book is a big blow to stagnant categorizations and instead explores how the world is actually operating - by engaging connections rather than mere differentiations.' - Gary Chang, Architect, Managing Director, EDGE Design Institute Ltd, Hong Kong

'40 years after Andy Warhol taught us that business can be an art, Marco Bevolo shows us how art can make business be better. Intriguing, inspiring and eye-opening: 'The Golden Crossroads' is like a piece of marketing art itself. A true manifesto for the post-marketing era, where selling products means creating purpose.' - Wolfgang Schaefer, Chief Strategic Officer SelectNY, Berlin / New York

'What is behind the creative minds of artists? What does a successful cooperation between art and business look like? In times of crisis art producers and art consumers stand on the same side for the first time. Predominant "MBA culture" has proved we need to change. Noticing various aspects of cultural, political and social changes, Bevolo calls for new directions in business and cultural liaisons. 'The Golden Crossroads' is not a guide, it is not a catalogue of good projects it is a source of inspiration and not only for business leaders, this book is highly valuable for a wide spectrum of readers.' - Anna Krenz, artist, architect, critic, editor of Design Vox, Berlin

"Modern, relevant and with an authentic international perspective, this book provides a much needed alternative to the rigid and constrained thinking that hampers innovation. Bevolo demonstrates, with specific and real world examples, how to create the right kinds of bridges between marketing and fine arts, but also between one creative sphere and another. An ambitious and successful dissection of the convergence between art and commerce. Finally, we can see a path towards brands that have true soul.' - Amanda Spring, Managing Partner, Janou Pakter Europe, Paris, France

'For all leaders out there please read this book, open your mind to the next level of thinking and start applying it to your own company and life. Einstein once said "Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them." This book is about next level thinking.' - Edson Williams, founder and director of the artist group Edsonwilliams, London / Amsterdam, and founder and trainer-coach at Lead by Example

"Don't invite Marco Bevolo for even a coffee if you don't want to have your views somehow shaken. Bevolo takes the stand and speaks his mind. I imagine Bevolo can probably create trouble in the corporate arena by bringing powerful content and creating doubts about the way business is usually carried out. He takes risks and this book is a true materialization of his intellectual adventures. 'The Golden Crossroads' is an invitation for us to bet on and invest in the possibilities ahead of us." - Luciana Stein, journalist and trend researcher, São Paulo, Brazil

MARCO BEVOLO was born on the same day as W.A. Mozart, only a few years after. Until 2009 he was a Director at Philips Design headquarters in the Netherlands, where he was the driving force behind CultureScan, the cultural futures research program. He primarily works in the areas of strategic design, people research and thought leadership. He graduated in Psychology of Communication from the University of Turin. Bevolo started his professional career at Italdesign Giugiaro in 1990. Prior to joining Philips Design, his work focused mainly on automotive design, publishing and marketing communication. He was Editor in Chief for Intervista, an Italian lifestyle editorial spin off from Flash Art. Bevolo worked as copywriter with Armando Testa for clients like P&G and Bolton, joining Euro RSCG in 1998. He moved to the Netherlands in 1999 with his Japanese spouse, Keiko.

Bevolo was the editor and co-author of "City.People.Light", an anthology of world class urban futures concepts (2007) and he has had work published in the groundbreaking "The New Everyday" by 010, Rotterdam (2004), in the Italian book Nuova Enciclopedia della Comunicazione, as well as in the renowned Japanese design magazine Axis and in the Design Management Review of Boston. He was interviewed on cultural futures, trends and branding by the Korean national TV, Repubblica, ViewPoint, Der Spiegel and Marketing Tijdschrift. He lectured at the Temasek Polytechnic of Singapore, at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and as module coordinator of the Master of Arts in Design Management at INHOLLAND of Rotterdam. He has been regularly invited as speaker and chairman at leading events by Premsela, the Dutch Design Foundation. ESOMAR, ENG and DMI. He has been an advisory board member of the Istituto Internazionale Studi sul Futurismo of Milan and Basel, of Platform 21 of Amsterdam and of Stichting Caramundo in Amsterdam and Rio de Janeiro.

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