Cultural diplomacy avant la lettre? The Circulation of Belgian art in the Southern Cone,1850-1914.

An overlooked fact in Belgium’s colonial history is that Belgian ambitions reached beyond Africa and Congo. Even less well known is the role played by art in these projects. Between 1850 and 1914 several 'colonies Belges' were established in the Southern cone (Argentine, Chile and Uruguay). These agricultural and industrial settlements were realized by entrepreneurs and private organizations and were motivated by on the one hand imperialist dreams, and on the other hand by the host countries’ need to populate and develop the region. A striking fact is the simultaneous emergence of Belgian art in the region. Belgium’s participation in International Exhibitions in Chile and Argentina, the consuls’ engagement in the visual arts as well as the promotion of Belgian art by merchants and critics testify to the visual arts’ central position in a project of cultural diplomacy avant la lettre that intended to reinforce the country’s influence in the region. The art discourse in Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires moreover suggests that Belgian art played a significant role in the creation and conceptualization of national modern art (scenes) in the emerging art centers of the region. The study of the artistic connection and the circulation of Belgian art in the Southern Cone opens up a unique perspective on the intersection between art, economy and politics and contributes to a global art history that focuses on flows of cultural products, ideas and ideologies.