Journal On Biennials and Other Exhibitions Studies on the Venice Biennale: National Pavilions Vol. 5, No. 1 (2024) The Padiglione dell’America Latina: A Fascist Project of Cultural Diplomacy at the Venice Biennale, 1929-1932 Laura Moure Cecchini Abstract Several nations from Latin America are currently represented at the Venice Bienna- le, either with pavilions in the Giardini, temporary showcases in the Arsenale, or by leasing spaces throughout the city. Yet the Latin American participation during the institution's formative years was marked by considerable difculties. This paper exa- mines the unsuccessful attempt to create a “Padiglione dell’America Latina”, a cultu- ral diplomacy initiative that originated in 1932 under Antonio Maraini’s Secretariat. This visionary project could have provided Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Brazil with a stable representation in what was then the leading exhibition of con- temporary art. Despite signifcant support from the Biennale administrations, this initiative did not succeed. The failure to realise the “Padiglione dell’America Latina” — a situation tied to the global geopolitical issues that arose after the 1929 Wall Stre- et Crash, rather than disinterest from the Biennale or Latin American nations — had profound and lasting implications. Yet the notion of “Latin America” is inherently artifcial, burdened with colonial and imperialist associations, and it does not have widespread acceptance in the region. The arbitrary inclusion of the aforementioned countries under this label may have jeopardised the project from the very beginning. Keywords Global modernism, Argentine modernism, Latin American art, Venice Biennale, Cultural diplomacy OBOE Journal On Biennials and Other Exhibitions ISSN 2724-086X oboejournal.com Published online: December 30, 2024 To cite this article: Laura Moure Cecchini, “The Padiglione dell’America Latina: A Fascist Project of Cultural Diplomacy at the Venice Biennale, 1929-1932”, OBOE Journal 5, no. 1 (2024): 3-19. To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.25432/2724-086X/5.1.0002