Alma Allen to Represent the U.S. Pavilion at 2026 Venice Biennale
A sculptor outside the usual canon, the selection caps a controversial search.
Summary
- Alma Allen will represent the U.S. at the 2026 Venice Biennale
- The artist will fill the pavilion with Call Me the Breeze, a 30-work exhibition curated by Jeffrey Uslip
- The selection closes a contentious search for a U.S. Pavilion artist with mounting political pressure surrounding the presentation
Alma Allen has been selected to represent the U.S. at the 2026 Venice Biennale. The announcement confirmed recent rumors on Allen’s pick and marks the end of months-long speculation over whether the country would even lock in a representative for art world Olympics.
Born in Utah and now based in Mexico, Allen, a largely self-taught artist, will fill the Palladian-style U.S. Pavilion with Call Me the Breeze, a 30-work exhibition curated by Jeffrey Uslip, consisting of existing works and new commissions, including a site-responsive outdoor sculpture, inspired by the landscapes and materials of the Americas.
For the upcoming edition, fewer candidates applied the upcoming “In Minor Keys”-themed bill, a trend some attribute to State Department guidelines requiring proposals to “reflect and promote American values” and prohibiting programs tied to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, narrowing the field. In a recent interview, Allen told The New York Times he never applied for the role; Uslip, whom he had never met, contacted him directly in October to offer the spot.
In light of political turmoil, Allen’s acceptance has not been without consequences. Allen immediately accepted the invitation, despite warnings from Mendes Wood DM and Olney Gleason, his galleries, about aligning with a presidential administration many view as adversarial to the arts. Both galleries confirmed they no longer represent him.
Unlike many past U.S. Pavilion artists, Allen arrives in Venice without a major museum solo, though over the last decade, he’s been on the rise. Three of his works were selected to be shown in the 2014 Whitney Biennial, and since then he’s kept busy mounting regular solos at Blum in Los Angeles and New York’s Kasmin Gallery. His turn at the Biennale marks one of few European outings — save for his 2021 debut at Mendes Wood DM Brussels — and will undoubtedly push his visibility onto a far more international stage.
