NATIONAL NARRATIVES AND CULTURAL DIPLOMACY. THE SPANISH PAVILION AT THE VENICE BIENNALE DURING THE FRANCO DICTATORSHIP'S APERTURA IN THE FIFTIES

Abstract

This article proposes an approach to the Spanish presence at the Venice Biennale from the perspectives of Art History and International Relations. The article examines the image conveyed by Spanish participation in the Biennale, always via the Spanish Pavilion and in the political context of the Franco dictatorship's aperturismo [openness] in the fifties, to prove how the dictatorship favoured the attainment of political interests through a carefully planned soft power cultural diplomatic strategy. The text introduces the distinctive features of the Venice Biennale and examines its unique layout in national pavilions, which makes it an appropriate case study for addressing the connection between artistic production and national identity, on the one hand, and for analysing the role played by art and culture in international relations, on the other. What role did the Spanish Pavilion play at the Venice Biennale in the construction of national narratives during the Franco regime? How did the dictatorship use cultural diplomacy to construct its image on the international stage?