From Heterogeneity to Hegemony: American Art in the First São Paulo Biennials
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2178-0447.ars.2025.242079Keywords:
The United States in the São Paulo Biennials, American Art in Brazil, Visual Arts and the Cold WarAbstract
This article investigates the United States' participation
in the first two editions of the São Paulo Biennial, analyzing the relationship between art, politics, and
cultural diplomacy in the context of the Cold War. The
text examines the strategies for promoting American art, highlighting the role of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in organization and curation, as well as the actions of the United States Information Agency (USIA) and Nelson Rockefeller. Through primary sources, it explores the dynamics and tensions between artistic autonomy and the U.S. government's geopolitical interests. In this context, the Biennial served as a crucial stage for American cultural diplomacy, projecting an image of leadership in contemporary art and promoting values of freedom and innovation. In summary, the Biennial established itself as a strategic space for art and alliance building, but also for the dispute and negotiation of meanings.
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