Building a Reputation: Architecture & PD

An editorial by Nicholas Cull, Professor of Public Diplomacy and Director of the USC Master of Public Diplomacy program, appeared in the February 2015 issue of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy. The article Building a Reputation; Sharing an Environment: Architecture and Public Diplomacy at the Venice Biennale of Architecture, 2014 explores the interplay of cultural heritage and global engagement at the biannual architectural exposition. Sixty-five countries participated in last year’s Biennale, including South Korea, South Africa, Chile, Albania and Morocco, offering artists and attendees alike a glimpse into each country’s unique design aesthetics and cultural histories. Cull notes that the Venice Biennale of Architecture, while a global forum for cultural exchange, is also a reminder of art’s ability to transcend boundaries, mix styles and materials and ultimately “create a hybrid form of culture [that] defies attempts to contain or harness it for the benefit of any one state or political agenda.”

The full editorial is available here.