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Alma Allen, a sculptor known for sleek, abstract works, has been selected to represent the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale, marking the country's 250th anniversary. The selection process, run by the US State Department and funded by the newly formed American Arts Conservancy—which the article notes is stocked with Trump allies—has drawn criticism for favoring politically neutral art. Allen's sculptures, often made of marble and wood with digital technology, are described as aesthetically inoffensive and reminiscent of Constantin Brâncuși, with no apparent commentary on current US issues.

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This week's art industry roundup covers a flurry of developments across art fairs, auction houses, galleries, and museums. A new boutique fair called Enzo will launch alongside Frieze Los Angeles in an Echo Park warehouse with 10 New York galleries, while Felix Los Angeles returns to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with 50 exhibitors. Art Cologne's revived Palma Mallorca fair announces 88 exhibitors for its April debut. At auction, Christie's London will offer the Vanthournout collection of modernist and Surrealist works, including a Magritte painting estimated at $4.7 million, while Bonhams sells rare Oscar Wilde materials and three Bob Ross paintings. In gallery news, Roland Augustine steps down at Luhring Augustine, Lehmann Maupin opens a London space, and several galleries announce new artist representations. Museums see leadership changes at the Park Avenue Armory and Wrightwood 659, and the Rijksmuseum plans a new sculpture garden.

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The Almaty Museum of Arts (ALMA) opened on September 12 in Kazakhstan's largest city, becoming the country's first private museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Founded by auto and real estate tycoon Nurlan Smagulov, the museum houses his collection of over 700 artworks by Kazakh, Central Asian, and international artists. Led by artistic director Meruyert Kaliyeva and chief curator Inga Lāce, the museum's opening features a retrospective of Almaty-born artist Almagul Menlibayeva and a group show titled "Qonaqtar" that explores Kazakh art history and hospitality.

Monet and Van Gogh Masterpieces Hit the Shampoo Aisle

Beauty brand Dove has launched a limited-edition haircare collection called "The Art of Repair" featuring iconic artworks by Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, and Vincent van Gogh on its product packaging. The shampoo, conditioner, and serum bottles display images of Monet's *The Japanese Footbridge*, Cassatt's *The Loge*, and Van Gogh's *Roses*, drawing a parallel between art conservation and hair repair. The collection is exclusively available at Walmart.

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Artnet News's 'The Asia Pivot' reflects on its 2025 coverage, highlighting the expansion of Asia's art scene beyond traditional East Asian markets into emerging regions such as the Gulf, South Asia, and Central Asia. Key developments include the debut of the Bukhara Biennial in Uzbekistan, the opening of the Almaty Museum of Arts in Kazakhstan, and the flourishing art scene in Thailand with new private museums like Dib Bangkok. The report also covers major markets like China, Japan, and South Korea, noting the impact of geopolitical dynamics and market shifts.

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Digital artist Kevin Esherick's solo debut at New York’s Heft Gallery has sparked a legal confrontation with painter George Condo. The exhibition features AI-generated works trained to mimic the styles of prominent contemporary artists, including Beeple, Cindy Sherman, and Salman Toor. While most artists were receptive to the project, Condo’s legal team issued a cease-and-desist letter regarding three specific paintings, leading the gallery to shroud the disputed works in black velvet and display the redacted legal notice in their place.

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Alma Allen, a Utah-born, Mexico-based sculptor, has been selected to represent the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale, according to ARTnews sources. The pavilion's commissioning curator is Jeffrey Uslip, who previously curated the Malta Pavilion in 2022. The official announcement is pending the end of the government shutdown. Allen, known for large-scale stone, wood, and bronze sculptures, is in talks with Perrotin gallery for representation after his previous gallery, Kasmin, closed and rebranded as Olney Gleason.

Who is Alma Allen, US Pavilion Artist for the 2026 Venice Biennale?

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The US Department of State has confirmed that sculptor Alma Allen will represent the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale. Allen, a Utah-born, Mexico-based artist known for abstract biomorphic sculptures, was selected after a fraught selection cycle that included updated guidelines requiring proposals to promote American values. He was approached directly by curator Jeffrey Uslip, who will organize the US pavilion, and accepted the offer despite reportedly being advised against it by his former galleries Mendes Wood DM and Olney Gleason, which subsequently cut ties with him.

Alma Allen Speaks Out on Backlash Over U.S. Pavilion Commission: ‘A Little Stressful’

Sculptor Alma Allen has spoken out for the first time about the backlash he faced after accepting the commission to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale. In a rare interview on the podcast *Time Sensitive*, recorded at his home in Tepotzlán, Mexico, Allen described the response as “a little stressful” but said he never hesitated when curator Jeffrey Uslip invited him last fall. His selection sparked controversy because the State Department’s requirement that proposals “reflect and promote American values” while not promoting DEI initiatives led higher-profile artists like William Eggleston and Barbara Chase-Riboud to refuse. Allen’s former galleries, Mendes Wood and Olney Gleason, dropped him after he accepted, though he has since joined Perrotin. He also hinted that his exhibition, “Call Me the Breeze,” will include work about conflict and surveillance.

joan miro constellations 3 things to know 2027830

Spanish Surrealist Joan Miró created the "Constellations" series of 23 paintings on paper between January 1940 and September 1941, during the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War and World War II. Fleeing to Normandy and later Palma de Mallorca, Miró used oil and tempera on small sheets, producing joyful, abstract works filled with floating forms reminiscent of music and the cosmos. The series was shipped to New York in 1944 and exhibited in 1945 at Pierre Matisse's gallery, where it captivated exiled European artists and may have influenced Jackson Pollock's all-over drip painting style.

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Alma Allen, a self-taught Utah-born sculptor based in Mexico, has been confirmed as the U.S. representative for the 61st Venice Biennale, opening in May. His pavilion exhibition, titled “Alma Allen: Call Me the Breeze,” will be curated by Jeffrey Uslip and commissioned by Jenni Parido of the American Arts Conservancy. Allen’s selection is notably unconventional: he has no major museum solo exhibitions and was dropped by his galleries, Mendes Wood and Olney Gleason, after accepting the commission. The U.S. State Department’s brief release frames the presentation as highlighting “alchemical transformation of matter” and “elevation,” aligning with the Trump Administration’s focus on “American excellence.”

Art Movements: Look Who’s Headed to Perrotin Gallery

The French mega-gallery Perrotin has added sculptor Alma Allen to its roster. Allen previously caused controversy by accepting a nomination to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale under the Trump administration's State Department, a decision that led his former galleries to drop him. The article also notes other industry news, including Keisha Scarville winning the Brooklyn Museum's UOVO Prize and Marina Abramović creating an inflatable installation for New York's Balloon Museum.

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Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral election, prompting a wave of reactions from the art world. Artists, curators, and critics expressed hope and joy, with figures like Siddartha Mitter calling it a "beacon of civic renewal," while others like Jerry Saltz offered cautious support. Artists such as Aria Dean, Martine Syms, and Salman Toor were involved in his campaign, and El Museo del Barrio was the only institution to officially endorse him. However, some voices, like the market-oriented account Jerry Gogosian, criticized his socialist policies as potentially harmful to the art market.

Colleen Barry Wants You to Believe in Pictures Again

Artist Colleen Barry presents her exhibition “Iconophilia” at Half Gallery in the East Village, featuring 14 recent paintings that explore motherhood, tenderness, and the complexity of image-making. The works include mythological references like the Capitoline Wolf and juxtapositions of ancient and modern imagery, such as a portrait of Grace Jones combined with the Roman god Janus. Barry, who grew up working class in New York and learned painting from her father, aims to counter contemporary distrust of images—especially among her children—by offering a reverent, iconophilic approach to visual culture.

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The article reveals little-known secrets about the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including that its first home was not on Fifth Avenue but at 681 Fifth Avenue, and later the Douglas Mansion, before moving to its current location in 1879. It also notes that the museum's original red-brick facade is barely visible today, hidden within the Robert Lehman Wing, and that its first director, Luigi Palma di Cesnola, controversially mixed and matched parts of ancient sculptures to create composite works, while also misrepresenting their provenance.

Is Dubai’s loss Palma's gain? Newly revived Mallorca fair offers ’sun, sand and safety’ for wealthy Germans

The Art Cologne Palma Mallorca fair has been successfully revived at the Palau de Congressos, attracting 88 exhibitors with a heavy concentration of Spanish and German galleries. The event capitalizes on Mallorca's status as a premier second-home destination for wealthy Europeans, particularly Germans, and benefits from significant local government backing of €500,000. Early sales reports indicate strong performance in the lower and mid-market price brackets, with artists like Neo Rauch and Brian Eno finding quick buyers, though seven-figure works by Anselm Kiefer and Georg Baselitz moved more slowly.

Glassblower and porcelain heir Paul Arnhold on the art he loves to collect

The article profiles Paul Arnhold, a New York-based glassblower and fourth-generation heir to a major Meissen porcelain collection. He discusses how his hands-on practice as a maker directly informs his eclectic approach to collecting, which spans from ancient Etruscan artifacts to contemporary paintings by artists like Salman Toor. He emphasizes collecting based on personal joy and tactile presence rather than provenance alone.

Where to go this weekend?

Wohin am Wochenende?

Major international exhibitions and events are launching this week, headlined by a massive Marcel Duchamp retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the first of its scale in the U.S. since the 1970s. In Milan, Cao Fei debuts a research-heavy project at Fondazione Prada exploring the intersection of high-tech agriculture and tradition, while Berlin’s Georg Kolbe Museum recovers the legacy of British constructivist Marlow Moss. Additionally, the inaugural Art Cologne Palma Mallorca art festival opens in Spain, attempting to stimulate the market during a challenging economic period.

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Christie’s and Sotheby’s recently concluded their 2026 mid-season contemporary art auctions, signaling a shift toward higher-value inventory in what were traditionally lower-stakes sales. The standout result was the $7.6 million sale of Jeff Koons’s sculpture 'Winter Bears' (1988) at Christie’s, setting a record for the highest-valued work ever sold in a mid-season auction. Meanwhile, Sotheby’s held its first 'Contemporary Curated' sale at its new Breuer building headquarters, achieving $19.4 million led by a $3.8 million Alma Thomas painting.

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Saudi Arabia announced over 5 billion Saudi riyals ($1.3 billion) in new cultural funds and agreements at the first Cultural Investment Conference in Riyadh, held under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Key initiatives include a partnership with Deutsche Bank for training and cultural exchanges, and the immediate establishment of the Riyadh University of Arts, set to open in 2026 with courses in film, performing arts, and theater. The Ministry of Culture also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Royal Commission for AlUla to boost cultural infrastructure in the AlUla oasis.

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Saudi Arabia announced over 5 billion Saudi riyals ($1.3 billion) in new cultural funds and agreements at the first Cultural Investment Conference in Riyadh, held under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Key developments include a partnership with Deutsche Bank for training and cultural exchanges, the immediate establishment of the Riyadh University of Arts (opening 2026 with film, performing arts, and theater programs), and a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Culture and the Royal Commission for AlUla to boost cultural infrastructure in the AlUla oasis.

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Greek authorities arrested an abbot from the historic Mega Spilaio monastery in Peloponnese following a months-long undercover sting operation, charging him with trafficking Byzantine icons and other antiquities. Six defendants were arrested on Monday for their alleged involvement in an attempt to sell 14 looted Byzantine icons and two gospels for €200,000 ($235,000), with connections to auction houses in Germany and Cyprus. Separately, the Almaty Museum of Arts (ALMA) opened in Kazakhstan as the country's first private museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art, showcasing over 700 artworks from the collection of auto and real estate tycoon Nurlan Smagulov. A major Yoshitomo Nara painting, 'Haze Days' (1998), is heading to Christie's London with an estimate of £6.5-8.5 million, and the Museum of Women's Art (MOWA) opened in China as the first art institution dedicated to women artists.

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Vanity Fair published a two-part feature with unprecedented imagery of the Trump administration, shot by photographer Christopher Anderson. Diet Prada annotated the photos, highlighting that a floral still life by French impressionist Berthe Morisot, titled *Peonies* (1869), appears behind press secretary Karoline Leavitt and is currently available as a print through Walmart. The painting belongs to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., which lists it as not on view and declined to comment on whether it is on loan to the White House. The Trump administration has not responded to inquiries about the artwork's provenance or whether it was newly installed or left over from a previous administration.

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Sculptor Alma Allen has officially joined Galerie Perrotin, a major international blue-chip gallery, ahead of his representation of the United States at the upcoming Venice Biennale. The move follows a period of representation turnover, as Allen was recently dropped by Olney Gleason and Mendes Wood DM after accepting the prestigious commission. Perrotin will provide essential logistical and operational support for the U.S. Pavilion, with Allen’s first solo exhibition at the gallery’s Paris location scheduled for this fall.

The Art Market Returns to Growth

Confidence in the art market is rising, with a significant increase in dealers expecting sales growth in 2026 according to the latest Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report. The report, authored by economist Clare McAndrew, notes that 43% of dealers anticipate improvement, a 10-point jump from the previous year, though recovery remains uneven due to high costs and trade barriers.

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Sculptor Alma Allen has officially joined Perrotin, a move that follows his high-profile departure from former galleries Mendes Wood DM and Olney Gleason. The transition comes as Allen prepares to represent the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale with the exhibition "Alma Allen: Call Me the Breeze," curated by Jeffrey Uslip. The artist reportedly split with his previous representation after they opposed his acceptance of the Biennale commission under the current political climate.

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The US Department of State confirmed that Mexico-based artist Alma Allen will represent the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale, opening next May. Jeffrey Uslip will serve as curator, and the commissioning institution is the American Arts Conservancy (AAC), with its executive director Jenni Parido as official commissioner. Allen, who has had only two museum solo shows in three decades, was approached directly by Uslip in October after the State Department had already approved him. The selection process broke from tradition: the National Endowment for the Arts was not involved due to time constraints and staffing transitions, and a prior proposal by artist Robert Lazzarini and curator John Ravenal fell through after negotiations with the University of South Florida’s Contemporary Art Museum collapsed. Allen’s pavilion, titled "Call Me the Breeze," will feature about 30 works exploring elevation and transformation, framed by the State Department as furthering the Trump Administration’s focus on American excellence.

At the ‘art world Olympics,’ Team USA is chaotic

The US Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, often called the 'art world Olympics,' is mired in controversy and delays under the Trump administration. Curator Jeffrey Uslip insists the process has been smooth and artistically autonomous, but the selection of sculptor Alma Allen and commissioner Jenni Parido—a former pet supply shop owner with a new nonprofit—has raised eyebrows. The usual vetting process by the National Endowment for the Arts was disrupted, new language banning diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts was added to applications, and a government shutdown left only six months to fundraise and plan the exhibition, which coincides with the US's 250th anniversary.

‘Really encouraging’: Phillips’s modern and contemporary sale continues New York auction momentum

Phillips’s modern and contemporary evening sale on 19 November generated nearly $54.8 million ($67.3 million with fees), a 25% increase over the same sale last year. Out of 33 lots, only two failed to sell, achieving a 94% sell-through rate. The top lot was Francis Bacon’s *Study for Head of Isabel Rawsthorne and George Dyer* (1967), which hammered at $13.5 million, followed by an untitled Joan Mitchell work from 1957-58 at $12 million. The sale also included natural history objects for the first time, such as a juvenile Triceratops skeleton nicknamed 'Cera,' which sold for $4.35 million. Female artists performed strongly, with Ruth Asawa’s copper wire sculptures sparking lengthy bidding wars and Firelei Báez setting a new artist record that was later broken at Christie’s the same evening.

Hyperallergic’s Guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale

Hyperallergic has published its guide to the 2026 Venice Biennale, detailing what to see and do at this year's edition. The guide covers the three main categories of the Biennale—the Giardini with 29 permanent national pavilions, the Arsenale with temporary rented spaces, and collateral events across the city. Key developments include the return of Russia to its permanent Giardini pavilion and Israel's participation with a new contractual stipulation preventing its artist from closing the pavilion, after Ruth Patir's protest in 2024. South Africa withdrew following the cancellation of Gabrielle Goliath's video installation 'Elegy,' which mourns victims of Israel's genocide in Gaza and will now be shown at a historic church. The United States will be represented by Alma Allen after Barbara Chase-Riboud stepped down, and Qatar is set to become the first country in decades to build a new pavilion in the Giardini.