Band 6+: Some people suggest that the government should spend money putting more works of art like paintings and statues into towns and cities to make them attractive places. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is widely believed that the government should allocate more money for artistic works, such as in paintings and statues, to make the city more lively. I object to this opinion because such investment lacks long-term sustainability in promoting wellness and impose significant financial burden to the regulator.

First, aesthetic paintings and sculptures may affect mood and increase enthusiasm in creative industries. However, it cannot simply lead to a better living condition. Art is considered a tertiary need which holds an insignificant influence to address the social and economic challenges. One of the examples is the trend in younger generation to immerse themselves in the art centre. On the one hand, this activity boosts relaxation, but on the other hand, this condition is a temporary feeling rather than a gradual yet sustained wellbeing enhancement. Once leaving the valuable paintings and the unique sculptures, people will come back to their initial emotional state due to the foundational drivers are still being unaddressed.

Another reason to disagree with the promotion of artistic value is imbalance of cost and benefit. Creating and maintaining art products requires high financial resources, but it provides benefit only for personal value. Therefore, it is an unfavourable condition to the government’s budget. Unless a city heavily relies on tourism sector for economic growth, the government should spend more budget on economic, infrastructure, and educational causes. A balanced strategy of those aspects will result in a measurable impact beyond just an aesthetic pleasure. For instance, building more public places with an environmental approach will not only help to combat climate issues, but also to increase community engagement. As many people will come and utilize the spaces, local businesses have a higher opportunity to reach the consumers and market their products. As a result, the government funds are directly contributing to people’s life.

Finally, while art development is essential to personal wellbeing, the development in nation-wide scale does not considerably accelerate a better living condition as might be assumed by many people.