Artistic exchanges between the United States and Spain during the Cold War

Nora Fernandez Fernandez 

During today and tomorrow, October 20 and 21, the Juan March Foundation hosts a conference on artistic-cultural relations between the US and Spain during the Cold War.  

With the collaboration of the Rey Juan Carlos University, along with other institutions such as Terra Foundation for American Art, Art in Translation and Zurbarán Center for Spanish and Latin American Art (from the University of Durham), this event aims to propose new perspectives that analyze the cultural exchanges between the two countries in that characteristic period of time.  

Mainly, the days consist of a series of conferences, round tables and question and answer sessions led by various national and international experts. 

Among them are the French author Serge Guilbaut, the art historian John J. Curley and Claudia Hopkins, professor and director of the Zurbarán Centre. As for national experts, some of the speakers will be the researchers Estrella de Diego, Julián Sánchez and Javier Ortiz-Echagüe, professor of History of Art at the URJC and member of the consolidated research group in Visual Arts and Cultural Studies at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.  

According to Ortiz-Echagüe, "these conferences aim to broaden the framework of study to analyze the relations between Spain and the United States beyond the hegemonic conception of art."  

In addition, Ortiz-Echagüe emphasizes the role of the March Foundation in this field and explains why it has been chosen as the venue for the event, "since it was one of the first institutions that brought American art to Spain and opted to mount exhibitions from another Type". 

In relation to Spain, the Cold War period coincides with the establishment of Franco's dictatorship after the Spanish Civil War and reaches the democratic transition that began in 1975. As such, historiography has always analyzed art from the 'Americanization' of the world, focusing on the reception of the North American model.  

However, this meeting wants to present new perspectives, such as the work of curators, institutions, collectors, critics and artists that show in a different way the forms and channels of dissemination of artistic projects of that time.  

Mainly, the event is aimed at art professionals and researchers in this field, with the aim of broadening the view and proposing new case studies.  

Access to the event is free, although registration has already closed due to the high demand for places. The full program is available at the following link: Art Days Program