The Cultural Shifts that Shaped 2023: From Taylor Swift to Barbenheimer

The term "post-Covid" is concerning, especially for those currently suffering from the disease or its long-term effects. However, while experts still view Covid-19 as a pandemic, the World Health Organization declared in 2023 that it was no longer "a public health emergency of international concern."

In response to this renewed sense of normalcy, much of the world engaged in revenge spending, which boosted struggling creative sectors (although a subsequent slowdown is already occurring). This was largely positive news for the art, fashion, and culture industries, which, in a year characterized by war and technological disruption, responded in creative ways that both reflected and challenged society's most urgent issues.

Here are some of the forces that, for better or worse, captured the zeitgeist in the past 12 months:

Who runs the world? Girls

From left: Taylor Swift performs in Santa Clara, California during "The Eras Tour," and Beyoncé on the opening night of her "Renaissance" tour in Stockholm, Sweden.

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Two of the cultural economys biggest drivers were tours by a pair of musics most successful women: Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.

Beyoncé's tour "The Eras Tour" not only made the earth shake but also became the first tour to exceed $1 billion in gross profit. The demand for tickets was so high that the Singapore leg alone had over 22 million people registering for the pre-sale, with more than a million people waiting in an online queue. Check out Beyoncé's stunning looks from her extravagant Renaissance tour.

The global frenzy elevated the 34-year-old to even greater stardom, leading to a US Congress hearing on the lack of competition in the ticketing industry. Ticketmaster's inability to process orders and the impact on the travel industry, including surging hotel demand and airlines adding extra seats around concert dates, were discussed. Beyoncé's "Renaissance" tour was found to have added over $4.5 billion to the US economy, while in Sweden, her concert led to a surge in hotel and restaurant prices, contributing to inflation woes according to an economist at Denmarks Danske.

Barbenheimer boosted the box office

From left: Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie in "Barbie" and Cillian Murphy in "Oppenheimer."

Warner Bros Pictures/Universal Pictures

Similar to Bey and Tay, Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" tapped into the purchasing power of women, who made up an estimated two-thirds of the film's audience. Meanwhile, Universal Pictures' "Oppenheimer" release stirred up a major studio rivalry or mutually beneficial publicity campaign, reinvigorating America's enthusiasm for going to the movies.

The stark contrast between the cheeky feminist interpretation of Barbie's all-pink world and the gripping story of the father of the atomic bomb sparked some of the year's top memes, jokes, and parodies. The "Barbenheimer" challenge, which involved moviegoers attempting to watch both films in a single day, became a viral sensation. This phenomenon generated more than $2.3 billion in global box office revenue, with "Barbie" becoming the highest grossing film in Warner Bros.' 100-year history.

Fashions biggest conglomerates got bigger

Pedestrians pass a Louis Vuitton luxury boutique on Parizska street in Prague, Czech Republic.

Milan Jaros/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Large corporations dominate the fashion industry and have further solidified their control over the $1.6 trillion luxury market. According to the Savigny Luxury Index from March 2023, which is a comprehensive market index published by the wealth management group Savigny Partners, LVMH, Kering, and Richemont collectively own 62% of the luxury fashion market.

This summer, Tapestry, the parent company of Coach and Kate Spade, merged with Capri, the owner of Versace and Michael Kors, in an $8.5 billion deal. At the same time, LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Christian Dior, and Fendi, among other brands, became the first European company to achieve a market value exceeding $500 billion in April.

Art theft and restitution

The landscape for independent high-end fashion labels is challenging, as self-funded designers encounter intense competition and emerging, industry-recognized talent struggles to maintain their brands.

The Itumbaha Museum in Nepal exhibits objects that were returned from the 11th century Nepalese monastery after being taken by New York's Rubin Museum of Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Pranab Joshi/Courtesy Itumbaha

Amid ongoing pressure on museums and collectors to return objects with questionable origins, high-profile art restitutions continued this year. The Rubin Museum of Art and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York returned artifacts taken from an 11th century Nepalese monastery (pictured above) as well as from archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. Additionally, the National Gallery of Australia and the family of the late American pipeline billionaire George Lindemann pledged to return looted objects to Cambodia. The US also announced its intention to return 77 items to Yemen, showcasing just a few examples.

The fight to reunite a family with art looted by the Nazis has been ongoing. The British Museum has resisted returning contested items from its large collection, including the Parthenon marbles, sparking a diplomatic dispute between the UK and Greece. This year, tensions escalated, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refusing to meet his Greek counterpart and King Charles causing a stir by wearing a tie adorned with the Greek flag shortly after.

Money talks, quiet luxury whispers

The museum has fallen victim to theft, as it was revealed in August that approximately 2,000 pieces from its collection were missing, with some even being put up for sale on eBay. The museum is now actively working on recovering the items and is reaching out to the public to help in the return of its precious treasures.

Muted colors and understated branding epitomize "quiet luxury."

The year 2023 was characterized by a trend towards "quiet luxury" as a response to the global cost-of-living crisis. This concept emphasized understated simplicity, conveying status without relying on loud logos or flashy styles, both on the runways and in everyday life.

HBO's "Succession," which wrapped up its fourth and final season in May, brought attention to the "stealth wealth" trend, with its ultra-rich characters often choosing elevated, yet understated, fashion (such as Shiv Roy's work attire and Kendall Roy's baseball caps, which were frequently discussed). Gwyneth Paltrow's high-profile but low-maintenance courtroom wardrobe also garnered more attention than the ski accident being litigated at the trial.

Strikes paralyzed Hollywood — and the red carpet

Soon, Prada was promoting its latest menswear collection as "a reimagining of the essentials," while renowned designer Phoebe Philo finally unveiled her eponymous label with a debut collection characterized by effortless sophistication. The trend, distinct from minimalism, extended to watches, accessories, and even hotels (such as jeweler Chopard's new "anti-hotel" in the heart of Paris).

SAG-AFTRA members stand together on the picket line to support striking WGA (Writers Guild of America) workers outside Netflix offices in Los Angeles, California.

Hollywood was brought to a standstill for almost four months this year as actors demanded higher pay and residuals, which have decreased due to the rise of streaming services that do not often disclose viewership data. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that actors earned an average of $27.73 per hour last year, with many not receiving year-round pay. The strike also affected writers, halting movie and television productions.

Award ceremonies were either downsized or delayed, leading to some unusually subdued red carpet events. While this was a setback for celebrity makeup artists and stylists, who lost a significant income source, it also provided influencers and models with the opportunity to take center stage in the absence of movie stars.

The absence of actors on red carpets has consequences for Hollywood's glam squads.

AI continued to vex creatives

In November, the actors union SAG-AFTRA reached a landmark settlement with major studios, securing a new agreement that will remain in effect until May 2026. The deal encompasses pay raises, extended job security, improved benefits, royalty assurances, and safeguards against the studios' deployment of artificial intelligencea significant concern for both actors and writers.

Author George R.R. Martin has joined a class action lawsuit against OpenAI for using his work without permission to train its systems.

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Not only screenwriters and actors were concerned about AI threatening their careers. George R. R. Martin, Jodi Picoult, and John Grisham were among the authors who participated in a class action lawsuit against OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, claiming that it utilized copyrighted material to train its systems for more human-like responses. Over 10,000 authors, including James Patterson, Roxane Gay, and Margaret Atwood, also signed an open letter urging AI industry leaders to seek consent from authors when using their work to train large language models and to provide fair compensation.

Visual artists have found ways to combat the unauthorized use of their work by AI, using programs like Glaze to manipulate images in a way that confuses AI models and PhotoGuard to prevent image manipulation. In other fields, emerging technology has presented competition, with an AI-generated image winning a Sony World Photography Award in April. However, many creatives have embraced the potential of these developments, such as Japan's first AI-generated manga comic and fashion collections designed with the help of AI.

NFTs hit new lows

Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT characters on display at New York's Radio City Music Hall during the 4th annual NFT.NYC conference.

Noam Galai/Getty Images

The year 2022 brought more sobering long-term realities for NFT enthusiasts, with trading volumes stagnant and legal action being taken against some of the firms and individuals involved in celebrity-endorsed collectibles. In April, creators of Bored Ape NFTs, Yuga Labs, were sued by investors for allegedly misleadingly promoting the tokens and artificially inflating their prices. Cristiano Ronaldo is also facing a $1-billion class action lawsuit for promoting the crypto exchange Binance and selling NFTs of himself. In addition, a federal jury in New York found that an artist's NFT versions of Hermes famous Birkin bags violated the luxury house's trademark rights.

With Bitcoin prices rallying in recent months,

Tiaras, trans rights and turmoil at Miss Universe

some crypto analysts have expressed hope that the "NFT winter" may finally be coming to an end. But despite a relatively healthy bump in November sales, its a long, long way backeven to more recent heights.

Tiaras, trans rights and turmoil at Miss Universe

Then-reigning Miss Universe R'Bonney Gabriel watches on as Rikkie Kolle becomes the first trans woman to be named Miss Netherlands.

Shutterstock

Whether or not you believe the Miss Universe competition is relevant in today's world, this year's pageant has sparked more conversation than any in recent memory. In a win for LGBTQ inclusion, the competition made history by featuring two trans women for the first time. Marina Machete and Rikkie Kollé were chosen to represent Portugal and the Netherlands, respectively.

Just days before the finale in El Salvador, triumph turned to turmoil when the owner of Miss Universe, JKN Global Group, filed for bankruptcy. Despite this setback, the Thai media distribution company managed to successfully stage a show featuring elegant evening gowns and some delightfully bizarre "national costumes." However, the drama did not end there.

After Sheynnis Palacios became Nicaragua's first representative to claim the tiara, the director of the Miss Nicaragua franchise, Karen Celebertti, was charged with conspiracy and treason. Alongside her husband and son, Celebertti stands accused of being involved in a plot to overthrow the government, which led to her resignation. (Celebertti did not respond to CNN's request for comment but wrote on Instagram that she has worked transparently and "with zeal and effort to exalt the name of my homeland.")

Choppy waters for auction houses

Pablo Picasso's 1932 masterpiece "Femme à la montre" was one of the year's big-ticket auction offerings.

Guy Bell/Shutterstock

This year's auctions featured some high-value items, with only two reaching the coveted nine-figure mark. The Picasso masterpiece "Femme à la montre" sold for over $139 million, making it the second most valuable work by the Spanish artist ever auctioned. Additionally, Gustav Klimt's final portrait became the most expensive artwork ever sold at a European auction, fetching the equivalent of $108 million in London. However, overall sales were slow, with Christies reporting a year-on-year drop of $2.2 billion in sales for 2023 and Philips seeing a nearly 40% decline in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year.

Asian art capitals like Singapore and Seoul are now competing for the top spot that Hong Kong once held. While auction houses have tried to expand their sales to include sneakers and sports memorabilia, their main source of success remains in high-value art sales. However, recent data shows a significant drop in these sales, with the top 100 auction lots only reaching a total of $2.4 billion in 2023, compared to $4.1 billion in 2022, according to a report by Artsy.

Surprise discoveries

Like museums, auction houses also came under scrutiny for the provenance of items being auctioned off. In September, Christies decided to cancel the sale of jewelry that once belonged to the late billionaire Heidi Horten, as Jewish advocacy groups and human rights organizations raised concerns about the origin of her family's fortune, which was allegedly obtained through the acquisition of Jewish businesses sold under duress during Nazi Germany.

Chinese jars found in London charity shop, which sold for over $74,000.

Roseberys Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers

The year 2023 brought in numerous fortunate bargain hunters who struck gold with their discoveries. Thrift stores in Britain were especially fruitful, with one couple purchasing a small vase by a Japanese ceramic artist for roughly $3.30, only to have it appraised at nearly $12,000. Additionally, an unnamed collector made a handsome profit by selling two Qing dynasty jars for over $74,000, despite buying them as part of a ceramic lot for just $25.

An antiques enthusiast in the US turned a $4 purchase into a $191,000 sale at auction when a long-lost N.C. Wyeth painting was discovered. In a separate instance, a glass vase bought for $3.99 at Goodwill in Richmond, Virginia sold for over $107,000 after being identified as a work by Italian architect Carlo Scarpa. Other notable art world discoveries include the reattribution of a painting that sold for $15,000, only to be identified as a Rembrandt and sold for almost $14 million. Additionally, a stolen Van Gogh painting was returned in an IKEA bag to a Dutch art sleuth.