ABSTRACT
The arts have always played a crucial role within societies. Over the past few decades, anthropological studies have described arts as fundamental for human cultures because they enhance the capability for adaptation. Arts develop social identity, producing collective signs and symbols, and they play a key role in cultural evolution by modifying beliefs. Their changing potential is crucial for individual expression and for inspiring individual creativity, the engine of economic activities (Bateson, 1980; Hauser, 1982; Lévi-Strauss, 1983; Morris & Eschbach, 1993).
