In her book “The CIA and the Cultural Cold War,” British historian and journalist Frances Stonor Saunders mentions a hypothesis that, after several investigations, turned out to be true. In her book, the author stated that, during the Cold War, the CIA played a secret role in promoting modern art as a propaganda tool to strengthen American ideology against Soviet communism. This approach revealed how abstract expressionism was used to symbolize the “creative freedom” of capitalism, contrasting with state control of art in the Soviet Union.

The CIA, through soft power strategies, financed and organized cultural events, including exhibitions and biennials in Europe, promoting artists such as Jackson Pollock. These activities, orchestrated by the Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF), sought to show the superiority of American art against communist regimes. Despite the covert nature of the operation, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York played a key role in spreading abstract expressionism.

The CIA intervention, however, generated controversy. Although the artists were not fully aware that their works served as propaganda, the extent to which politics influenced their work has been questioned. In addition, the debate arises as to whether the CIA's cultural manipulation irreversibly affected the course of modern art or whether there has always been a relationship between art and political power.

This episode raises questions about the independence of art and its relationship with external interests, inviting reflection on the true nature of creativity in times of ideological war.