Spain on Exhibit: The Changing Face of State-Sponsored International Exhibitions, 1936 to 2003

Through the study of four State-sponsored exhibitions, this paper concentrates on the image that the Spanish government projects through international art shows organized during the Spanish Civil War, the Franco dictatorship and the current democratic regime. Analyzing the circumstances of the organization of these exhibitions in their historical context, this paper identifies the underlying political and commercial motivations that prompted their sponsorship, and reflects on the similarities and differences between cultural diplomacy strategies adopted by different political regimes.