Alma Allen Chosen To Represent United States At 2026 Venice Biennale

Alma Allen to Represent the U.S. at 2026 Venice Biennale

Alma Allen is set to lead the U.S. Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, scheduled to open next May, although the announcement remains unofficial due to the current government shutdown. The Utah-born, Mexico-based artist is commissioned alongside Jeffrey Uslip, who will act as the pavilion’s curator.

Delayed Official Confirmation

The news emerged through The Baer Faxt, a widely noted art world newsletter known for insider rumors. Official confirmation is pending until the government shutdown concludes, reflecting the usual delays where bureaucracy precedes art.

An Unexpected Choice

This decision is quietly unexpected, as Allen is not the typical high-profile artist usually selected for national pavilions, which often feature widely recognized figures with strong institutional backing. Past representatives include Jeffrey Gibson, Simone Leigh, Mark Bradford, and Ed Ruscha, all celebrated names entrenched in the upper echelons of the art market.

About Alma Allen’s Work

Allen creates from Tepoztlán, a serene town near Mexico City, where he sculpts large-scale works using stone, wood, and bronze. His process combines traditional hand-carving techniques with custom-built robotics. His sculptures evoke a sense of alternate evolution, appearing less as traditional monuments and more like abstract, sometimes living fossils with a distinctly tactile quality.

“His works feel less like monuments and more like fossils from an alternate evolution — abstract, sometimes animate, always tactile.”

Allen’s presence in Venice’s neo-Palladian pavilion promises a unique and thought-provoking experience.

Summary: Alma Allen’s selection for the 2026 U.S. Pavilion at Venice Biennale offers a fresh artistic vision, blending traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge robotics in a less conventional but deeply intriguing approach.

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Artlyst Artlyst — 2025-11-07

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