U.S. artist Alma Allen, a self-taught sculptor based in Mexico, has mounted an exhibition titled "Call Me the Breeze" at the U.S. Pavilion for the Venice Biennale after a fraught selection process. The process, which removed language on diversity, equity, and inclusion in favor of promoting "American values," caused several institutions to withdraw from vying for the commission. Allen created a bronze evil eye for the pavilion's exterior to ward off bad vibes, and his show includes a dozen new works alongside pieces from the last 20 years. The prior proposal for artist Robert Lazzarini fell apart after its institutional sponsor backed out, leading to a new project with the American Arts Conservancy as sponsor and Jeffrey Uslip as curator.
This matters because the controversy surrounding the selection process highlights tensions between art and politics, with critics calling it a loss of 40 years of open-call and peer-review history. Allen's participation, despite backlash, underscores the ongoing debate about artistic independence versus institutional and governmental influence. The exhibition is a defining moment in Allen's 30-year career, bringing an outsider artist to one of contemporary art's most prestigious stages, and raises questions about how "American values" are interpreted and imposed on cultural diplomacy.