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.
This selection is notable because Allen is a less high-profile choice compared to recent US representatives like Jeffrey Gibson, Simone Leigh, and Mark Bradford, with only two major institutional surveys in his three-decade career. The decision comes amid uncertainty over the American Pavilion's future due to federal government overhauls affecting the National Endowment for the Arts. The pick signals a potential shift toward recognizing mid-career artists with international perspectives, as Allen's practice blends traditional hand-carving with robotic fabrication.