戴姆勒股份公司董事长     蔡澈

文化中心有两个方面：传统和进步。一方面，北京市拥有独特的文化传统；另一方面，北京市在促进文化繁荣的政策措施上，应该考虑文化生产和消费人群、资源和资金支持、提供空间、提高国际关注和承认、鼓励各种力量（个人、政府、企业等）积极参与文化建设。
戴姆勒有若干经验可供借鉴，如奔驰博物馆、戴姆勒艺术藏品、高级设计中心、及对文化艺术的资助活动等。

政策建议：

鼓励工业企业参与文化发展
工业技术与产品并非冰冷机械的物质，而是来自企业特有的文化。很多工业企业都将愿意展示其产品背后的文化。

鼓励外资投入文化发展
外资对文化事业兴趣浓厚，外资投入不仅带来资源，而且提高国际知名度。

对于个人文化活动兼容并蓄

文化繁荣于多样性的环境，其促进创造的效果超过任何自上而下的计划。

促进北京市文化发展与繁荣，建设国际文化中心城市。

中国的对外开放与经济高速增长也创造了文化发展的需求和机遇。因此，“十二五”文化改革发展规划纲要的发布正当其时，北京市亦可藉此推动“世界城市文化”，采取增加公共文化产品（如博物馆）、加强国际交流与合作等措施。
以下介绍我们对于国际文化中心城市的理解，并根据戴姆勒的经验提供建议。

何为国际文化中心城市？
（一）城市文化魅力的两个要素
一个城市的文化魅力与影响源自两个方面：其凝聚文化传统，以及其推动文化进步的中心地位。
凝聚文化传统的中心地位，指的是一个城市在积累与呈现文物方面获得承认的程度。文化传统包括人类的各种文化活动：视觉艺术、表演艺术、文学、音乐、建筑、设计，并延伸到生活方式。广而言之，文化传统即过去的文化活动，以及渊源于此的文化导向。

文化进步的中心地位，指的是一个城市作为当前文化生产、呈现和探索舞台及试验场所的地位。活跃的文化创新，演艺、建筑、前沿设计、新型个人及社会生活方式的突破，体现了文化进步。简单来说，文化进步指的是当前、更是未来的人类文化存在形式。

作为文化中心，一个城市的目前及未来格局也体现在这两个方面。有些城市传统雄厚，但文化进步方面较弱，其他城市则在当前文化创造方面充满活力。只有少数城市二者兼得。在策略上，一个城市可以选择侧重其一，也可双头并进。

一个城市作为文化中心的魅力有赖于受众和时间。在传统和进步两方面，她可以是地区、全国或国际中心，其地位也可随时间变化：或者消沉，或者新生。文化进步比文化传统更加变动不居。
从欧洲人的视角来看，北京拥有浓厚的文化传统，不过总体上国际化不足（虽然在建筑方面，新近的地标如央视大楼、鸟巢、水立方等使北京居于前沿）。

（二）推动城市文化中心地位的因素
哪些因素促进一个城市的文化传统和进步中心地位呢？
通常来说，这些因素体现在文化艺术实体当中，如高品位的博物馆，活跃的艺术创作人群，以及全国和国际范围的承认。存在和外界关注必须二者兼备，而且可以从这两方面促进城市的文化中心地位，由此可以列举若干如下促进因素。

文化创作人群
作为文化中心的城市必须拥有大量文艺创作人，如艺术家、作家、艺人、导演、音乐人、建筑师、设计师。他们在这里生活、工作、交流。在这些文化领域

（二）推动城市文化中心地位的因素
哪些因素促进一个城市的文化传统和进步中心地位呢？
通常来说，这些因素体现在文化艺术实体当中，如高品位的博物馆，活跃的艺术创作人群，以及全国和国际范围的承认。存在和外界关注必须二者兼备，而且可以从这两方面促进城市的文化中心地位，由此可以列举若干如下促进因素。

文化创作人群
作为文化中心的城市必须拥有大量文艺创作人，如艺术家、作家、艺人、导演、音乐人、建筑师、设计师。他们在这里生活、工作、交流。在这些文化领域的一两个当中，必须有足够数量的人群形成自我发展的中心。真正的国际文化中心，一定是多领域文化人群交融、创作、试验、创新的地方。
毫无疑问，北京是中国聚集文化创作人群首选城市，涉及的文化领域也最为全面。

文化消费人群
另一方面，文化进步中心需要文化消费受众和组织，以兴趣，认知，以及物质资源支撑文化进步。文化传统中心只要有旅游者就可以持续，而进步中心则需要大量有兴趣和能力消费文化产品的居民：如欣赏音乐会等文艺表演，参观画廊和展览，还要有收藏家，包括个人和机构。

资源和资金：政府，机构/企业
文化创新和文化消费之外，还需要足够的物质和财力支持文化创作，主要来自四个方面：一、政府，包括中央和地方；二、私人消费和收藏；三、机构消费和收藏；四、文化传播的投资人。

文化标杆机构
无论是传统还是进步方面，文化中心都需要耀眼的核心机构，可以是永久的，也可以是临时的。在传统方面如博物馆，歌剧院或音乐厅，定期的国际艺术或音乐节，或临时的展览。
在文化进步方面，艺术类院校，展览馆，现代艺术节，画廊等都是促进因素。
文化标杆机构必须具备高质量的内涵，而且应该致力于长远发展。

空间
文化生产需要空间。促进文化进步的创作人群同时需要物理空间，也需要创作空间。
文化进步意味着超越现有的文化成就和模式，创作的初期总是缺少物质资源的。因此，费用低廉的艺术工作室、音乐练习室、排练室或写作室等能极大地弥补这方面的短缺。过去二十年，柏林因为可以提供这类低廉的空间而成为文化进步的中心城市。
此外，文化进步需要超越已知的、获得承认的模式，创作需要相对比较开放的表达和传播空间，以便创作人展示、探讨、改进新的视角。这是文化持续发展的本质。

国际关注和承认
国际文化中心城市当然需要国际关注和承认。具备前述的推动因素并不自然带来国际承认。在信息部所不达的当今世界，关注和承认是稀缺资源。

大项目或标新立异可以获得关注，但承认需要卓越、信用和引导潮流的能力。难点在于这些都依赖于
受众。不过，具备了前述推动因素，获得关注和承认的努力也就有持续的支持。

（三）推动因素作为文化政策的基础
上面关于城市文化中心地位推动因素不仅是分析框架，还可以作为城市文化政策作用方向和起点。短期行为无法树立文化中心地位，文化政策必须触及传统与进步的基础。
因此，各司其职的决策部门可以根据上述推动因素制定专门措施。

二、戴姆勒的经验和建议
戴姆勒126年的历史，不仅是工业进步的历史，也是促进并获益于文化进步的历史。我们既往和当前的经验可资借鉴。

（一）奔驰博物馆
斯图加特的奔驰博物馆就是这方面的良好例证。博物馆不仅展示奔驰历史上的创造，而且介绍未来可持续交通的前沿技术，访客可以体验到汽车的历史与未来。
这样的博物馆是文化传统的重要舞台，也是通往未来的桥梁。
戴姆勒计划在北京建设一个新地标“梅赛德斯-奔驰园区”，包括奔驰博物馆，高级设计中心和教育培训中心。“园区”意在激发更多针对交通文化的创造。很多工业企业，无论大小，都希望人们了解其产品背后的文化。北京市可以激发这样的兴趣，让企业参与文化发展。

（二）戴姆勒艺术藏品
另一个例子是拥有几个件当代作品的“戴姆勒艺术藏品”。我们计划与北京今日美术馆合作，在2014年初举办展览，届时展示“戴姆勒艺术藏品”，加强北京-戴姆勒艺术对话。另外，戴姆勒与中央美术学院合作举办青少年艺术教育项目，包括课程、专家访谈等活动。

（三）资助艺术
除了展示“戴姆勒艺术藏品”，我们在北京长期资助艺术活动。2007年至今，奔驰一直是国家表演艺术中心的战略伙伴，这是奔驰品牌的优雅经典与国家表演艺术中心的完美结合。

（四）高级设计中心
实际上，在产品设计方面，奔驰一直关注中国、北京的文化潮流。2011年7月，梅赛德斯-奔驰中国高级设计中心在北京开幕，这是戴姆勒全球第五个高级设计中心。北京设计中心直接关注中国的文化潮流，与本地设计师交流互动，把中国元素融入我们的未来产品。

（五）政策建议
鼓励工业企业参与文化发展
与一般的看法不同，工业并非冷酷机械的文化沙漠。工业是人类改造自然的努力，是近现代文化的产物。工业企业有需求展示其文化身份，培养公众对技术和美学创新的兴趣。工业企业设立的博物馆，不仅展示过去的成就，而且培养一种不断反思历史、展望未来的文化。
鼓励外资投入文化发展
政府的财税支持对文化发展当然很重要，但纳税人的钱是有限的。中国巨大的市场、高速增长的经济自然会吸引中国国际投资，扩大北京市文化发展的资金来源。
各种工商企业同时是文化艺术的消费者，对于文化产品消费和资助的税务减免会促进这类消费。除了鼓励艺术投资，还可以采取某些强制性措施，比如要求建筑物成本的0.5%必须用于该建筑物的艺术装饰。

鼓励外资和工商企业的艺术消费与投资，能够为文化生产提供极为广泛的资金来源。
对于个人文化活动兼容并蓄
纽约或伦敦这类世界性城市文化是无心插柳自然形成的。象市场经济一样，自由开放的文化生产能够创造丰富多彩的局面。北京这方面已经有成功范例如798，另一个例子是北京市的餐饮业，在这里可以品尝到各种地方、国家、和国际特色的佳肴。兼容并蓄如果能推广到更多领域，将极大促进北京市的文化发展。（完）

Promoting Cultural Prosperity in Beijing and Making the City a Cultural Center of International Appeal
——Dieter Zetsche，Chairman  of the Board of Management，Daimler AG(Executive Summary)

Background
The city of Beijing endeavors to promote cultural prosperity and become a cultural center of international appeal.

Conceptual framework
A cultural center has two dimensions: heritage and progress. While Beijing possesses unique heritage, municipal policies may consider driving forces for cultural prosperity such as culture producing and consuming people, resources and funding, cultural lighthouses, space, international awareness and acknowledgement. In a rather facilitating role, the city government is well advised to engage diverse agents (public, private, corporate etc.).

Daimler experiences
Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Daimler Art Collection, Advanced Design Center, Daimler’s art sponsorship activities are presented as examples.

Suggestions to the City
Engage industrial organizations in cultural development

Industrial technologies and products are not just cold things. They originate from a specific culture and many industrial organizations would love to present their cultures.

Engage international investments in cultural development
International investors are highly interested. Not only do they bring resources, they also automatically enhance the international appeal of the city.

Openness and diversity with regard to private initiatives
Culture prospers on diversity which stimulates creations beyond any top-down planning and control.

Full Text
Promoting cultural prosperity in Beijing and making the city a cultural center of international appeal

China’s opening-up to the world and its rapid economic growth have brought about possibilities and demands for major cultural development. It is hence a timely initiative of the Chinese government to launch the “National Culture Reform and Development Program for the Period of the 12th Five-Year” and of the City of Beijing to develop a World City Culture by a.o. enhancing the supply of public culture products including museums and strengthening the international exchange and cooperation.

The following will elaborate on my understanding about a city as a cultural center of international appeal and suggest ideas based on Daimler’s practices and experiences.

1 What makes a city a cultural center of international appeal?

1.1 Two major dimensions of a city´s cultural appeal
The cultural appeal of a city, its cultural attractiveness and cultural impact arise from two major sources: First, from its position as a center of cultural heritage. Secondly, from its position as a center of cultural progress.

The position as a center of cultural heritage refers to the extent a city is housing cultural artefacts, products and stagings that are already acknowledged and are of specific interest attracting media and visitor awareness. Cultural heritage includes all forms of man´s cultural production and products like visual arts and performing arts, literature, music, architecture, design and extend to traditions of ways of living. Broadly spoken, cultural heritage refers to the past of cultural activities and to orientation that is stemming from the acknowledged and defined.

The position as a center of cultural progress, on the other hand, refers to the degree a city is a place, stage and laboratory of current, most recent cultural production, cultural presentation and cultural discourse. A vivid and innovative art creation, path breaking and pace making stagings of performing arts, advancing architecture as well as a cutting edge design and new forms of societal and individual living are some fields of cultural progress. In short, cultural progress refers to the present and, more importantly, to the future of man´s cultural being.

A city´s current and future situation as a cultural center can be mapped on these two dimensions. It is possible that a city has a strong position as a center of cultural heritage while being less eminent in terms of cultural progress, while other cities are especially strong as centers of cultural progress and most recent cultural creation. In rare cases, a city manages to be strong in both aspects. In a strategic, goal setting perspective, a city can decide to strive and perform in one of the two directions or to follow both directions at the same time.

A city´s position as an appealing cultural center is dependent both on the scale of the intended audience and on time. The strength as a center of cultural heritage or of cultural progress can be measured on a regional, national or international level. Furthermore, a city´s cultural appeal in both aspects can change over time: it might antiquate and deteriorate or might sprout or revive. The position as a center of cultural progress is more volatile than the position of a center of cultural heritage.

From European perspective, Beijing has a strong position in regard to cultural heritage, but is comparatively less international as a whole. (As for architecture, however, some landmark buildings added in the recent years like CCTV Tower, Olympic Stadium, “Water Cube” etc. rather put Beijing among the frontrunners.)

1.2 Enabling and promoting factors as driving forces for centers of cultural appeal.
What drives and promotes a city´s position as a cultural center, either in terms of cultural heritage or in terms of cultural progress?

In any case, it is a mutually reinforcing combination of reality, like the amount of pieces of art, the existence of classy museums or the existence of a vivid resident art producing community, and of national and international perception and awareness. If a city is an appealing cultural center, it is a matter of facts and it is a matter of awareness. Both elements have to come together, and both elements enforce each other. A rise in the cultural position of a city can be triggered on each of the both sides.

Considering this basic principle, a few fields of driving factors can be named.

Culture producing people
To be a center of cultural progress, a city needs a substantial population of art and culture producing people. Artists, writers, actors, directors, musicians and composers, architects, designers and others need to live, to work and to communicate on site in a significant number. In at least one or two of these disciplines a critical mass of people is required to form a center of cultural production with a self-driven momentum of advancement. True cultural centers of international appeal assemble cultural agents of many disciplines, forming a true melting pot and laboratory of cultural production and innovation.

Without any doubt, Beijing is the most eminent and most comprehensive gathering place for cultural producers in China.

Culture consuming people
On the other hand a center of cultural progress needs an audience and population of culture consuming people and organizations, providing interest, awareness, and, equally important, material resources. A big number of visitors might be sufficient for a center of cultural heritage. A center of cultural progress and its ongoing cultural production and innovation need a substantial resident population of people interested in willing to purchase and support cultural production.

Besides consumer attending concerts or other performances, visitors of galleries and exhibitions, art collectors and commissioners of other cultural products are crucial. Those collectors and commissioners can be private as well as corporate.

Resources and Funding: State, Corporate/Industrial
Besides Innovation, producing and consuming people, a vivid cultural production and a substantial cultural preservation need sufficient material resources and funding. There are four major groups of funding sources: (a) the state, on national as well as on municipal level. (b) private consumers and art collectors, (c) corporate consumers and art collectors, (d) investors who invest into culture distributing businesses like concert halls etc.

Cultural lighthouse institutions
A center of cultural heritage as well as a center of cultural progress need highly perceivable institutions as cultural cores or gravity centers. These institutions might be continuous ones or temporary ones. For cultural heritage, these might be unique museums of all kind, centers of performing art like operas and concert halls. Repeated international conferences of art history or music festivals (e.g. Wagner Festspiele in Bayreuth) as well as temporary exhibitions help to promote a city as a center of cultural heritage.

Equally important are institutions to promote a city a center of cultural progress: Art universities and schools, exhibition halls and festivals or art fairs of contemporary art like the Venice Biennale are lighthouse institutions. Remarkable galleries are agents, as well.

In both regards, it is essential that those cultural lighthouse institutions are created and maintained with the objective of extraordinary high quality. At the same time, a long term perspective of a long lasting institution should be pursued.

Space
Cultural production needs space. A center of cultural progress is required to provide space for its culturally productive population, with space understood literally and figuratively at the same time.
Cultural progress means to go beyond the established and acknowledged realms of culture.

Therefore, very often the economic base of the respective activities is relatively weak – money is lacking. In this situation, space – in form of affordable artists´ ateliers, music exercise rooms, rehearsal stages or simply writers´ studios – is one of the most productive resources of cultural progress. For example, Berlin became one of the pre-eminent centers for cultural progress in last two decades also due to its rich resources of affordable space for all forms of cultural production.

Because cultural progress has to go beyond the well-known and roundly accepted, culturally progressive production needs also some degree of open space in communication and presentation option. Cultural progress needs some opportunities for cultural producers to present, to discuss and thus to improve new perspectives and new proposals that are the essence of continuous cultural development.

International awareness and acknowledgement
A city’s position both as a center of cultural heritage or as a center of cultural progress of international appeal requires substantial international awareness and acknowledgement, too. Both are not given or guaranteed just because the driving forces mentioned before are in place.

Awareness and acknowledgement are rare resources in our world where the world seems to be at hand ant accessible at nearly every place on earth.

While awareness can be more easily created by just doing something very big, very quickly or in a another outstanding manner, acknowledgement can only be achieved through excellence, credibility and the ability to provide an example worth to follow. Difficultly, all these aspects mainly lie in the eyes of the beholder. However, if the driving forces mentioned above are given, global communication and trust-building that strive for awareness and acknowledgement are substantially supported.

1.3 Driving forces as levers and suggestive reference for municipal policies
The factors and driving forces behind a city’s position as a center of cultural heritage or as a center of cultural progress are not only useful for analytical purposes. Furthermore, the driving forces mentioned above can be seen as levers or starting points for municipal policies that seek to improve a city’s cultural appeal. No ostensible, quick-fix solution will create such a strong cultural position, but only a municipal long-term policy that tackles the roots and deeper sources of cultural heritage and cultural progress.

Therefore, each of the mentioned driving forces suggests several policy measures that can be designed more specifically by the respective policy makers in charge.

2 Suggestions based on Daimler’s activities and experiences
The 126 years of Daimler are not only a history of our industrial achievements, but also a history of both beneficiary and benefactor of culture. Our practices and experiences in the past and current may suggest ideas for Beijing to further develop herself to a center of international appeal.

2.1 Mercedes-Benz Museum

The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart is a great example in that regard. It is naturally a collection of historic objects demonstrating industrial development. But it is also a place where we put our future technological solutions for a more sustained automobile industry on display. Visitors to the museum would have interactive experiences with the history of mobility as well as the future mobility.

Museum as such occupies an important place in the centre of cultural heritage, but can be also a bridge to the future.

Daimler is planning to build a Mercedes-Benz “Campus” in Beijing, adding another piece of landmark architecture to the city. More crucially, the Campus will be a complex which will embody a MB Museum, an Advanced Design Center as well as a Training Center. With this combination we want to inspire more people for an innovative culture in the largest auto market of the world.

We are sure that many industrial enterprises, large or small, want people to learn the ideas and the culture behind the products that they are using. The City of Beijing can mobilize such interest and engage these enterprises in an interactive cultural development.

2.2 Daimler Art Collection
Daimler Art Collection, a major collection of several thousand pieces of contemporary art, is planning to hold a big presentation in the Beijing Today Art Museum in the beginning of 2014. We will be happy to show our collection and to intensify the Beijing-Daimler-dialogue on Art.

Combined, there will be an children education programm and a series of accompanying lectures, panel discussions and round tables in cooperation with Central Academy of Fine Art (CAFA) in Beijing

2.3 Art Sponsoring
Beside our Art Collection´s Beijing presentation, Daimler is a long-lasting sponsor for the arts in Beijing. For example, MBCL is Sponsor of BJ Today Art Museum. [-> ask MBCL (Hauber) on details] And since 2007, Mercedes-Benz is the strategic partner of the National Center for the Performing Arts, a perfect match between the “elegance” and “classic” elements of our brand and the nature of NCPA.

2.4 Advanced Design Center
 In fact, a significant aspect of our business operation, namely the product design, pulsates now with the cultural development in Beijing, in China. At the same time, we are proud to contribute to Beijings path to become a major international center of path breaking product design. In July 2011, we opened Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center Beijing, one of the five studios of this kind globally. This design center is set up to feel the trends in China, to interact with the local designer community and include the China elements into our future products.

2.5 Further suggestions for Beijing’s municipal policies
The activities of Daimler as described above may suggest further policy ideas for the cultural development in Beijing:

2.5.1 Engage industrial organizations in cultural development
Contrary to some popular saying, industrial corporations are not a cold, mechanical world devoid of culture. Industrial corporations are human creations to make life better and deeply embedded in modern cultural development. Industrial organizations need to demonstrate their cultural identities and thus cultivate public interest in the innovative spirit, technological or aesthetical. An corporate museum, for instance, is not only a collection of historic objects, but also a piece of culture which invites people to reflect about the past but also the future.

2.5.2 Engage international investments in cultural development
While fiscal and tax incentives are important and welcome, resources for public spending are limited. The huge market and growth potential in China alone is a natural magnate for international investments which will greatly enrich the cultural development in Beijing.

Companies of all branches are very important potential art and culture consumers. Their engagement can be fostered, either by incentives, e.g. by tax rebates of the option to deduct art and culture investments from the profit to be taxed. There are other ways imaginable to encourage major art and culture investments. On the other hand, there is the option to establish some mandatory art investments, e.g. by a requirement to invest, 0.5 % of building costs into one or another form of art at the building.

Both ways of generally encouraging corporate engagement in art and culture might open huge sources of cultural funding, nurturing and fostering a living art and culture producing live.

2.5.3 Openness and diversity with regard to private initiatives

The world city cultures in e.g. New York or London are not top-down designs but rather bottom-up evolutions. As proven in market economy, unleashed cultural production will provide great variety, richness and innovation in arts and culture, too. Beijing has already successful experiences like the artist area of 798. Another successful example in Beijing is gastronomy: you can find every kind of cuisine, local, national or international, in the city. Such openness and diversity, if applied to further areas, will greatly enhance cultural development in Beijing.