Artist Autonomy and the Contemporary Creative Economy

This book examines one of the most persistent concepts in modern art and cultural theory: the proposition that art can operate independently from economic, political, or social constraints. In an age defined by global interdependence, digital transformation, and shifting cultural policies, the notion of autonomy has acquired new urgency. This volume explores how artistic autonomy is negotiated and redefined within today’s complex intersections of governance, markets, institutions, and technology. Bringing together critical essays, case studies, and reflective practices, this book reveals how autonomy is not a static or absolute state, but a living process shaped through relation, negotiation, and vulnerability. This book traces how artists and institutions navigate structural pressures while maintaining creative integrity, and how autonomy itself functions as both a protective space and a mode of engagement. Through a wide range of perspectives, spanning theory, policy, and artistic practice, the collection uncovers the paradoxes that define contemporary cultural production: freedom within dependency, creativity within regulation, and independence within systems of care. It invites readers to view autonomy not as separation from society but as the capacity to act critically and imaginatively within it. Essential reading for scholars, artists, policymakers, and cultural professionals, Artist Autonomy and the Contemporary Creative Economy offers a timely and compelling examination of what it means to be artistically free in an era of transformation and global interconnection.