Contributions of SP-Arte and the São Paulo Biennial to Brazil's image abroad

The concept of country image was defined by Kotler & Gertner (2002) as the sum of beliefs and impressions that people have about a place. A country's image is associated with its soft power, defined as the country's ability to influence the international scene through attraction or persuasion, as opposed to its economic or military strength (NYE, 1990). Academic works have also related a country's image to its results in international trade (MERABET, 2020; ZHI, BAO, LUO, 2017). Numerous studies indicate that Brazil's image does not reflect its economic importance on the world stage, such as the Global Soft Power Index (BRAND FINANCE, 2020). Can Brazilian art contribute positively to Brazil's image abroad? Using the São Paulo Biennial and the SP-Arte art fair as case studies, we will attempt to contribute to the answer to this question. To achieve our objective, we conducted a systematic review of journalistic articles mentioning the São Paulo Biennial or SP-Arte, published in selected newspapers in the United States and England from 2012 to 2019. We then identified the strengths and weaknesses of the São Paulo Biennial and SP-Arte. The study revealed that both institutions convey to Brazil's image the ideas of artistic and institutional legacy, growth, importance, respect, and relevance in the visual arts field, thus contributing positively to the construction of the country's image and, therefore, to the development of its economy.