U.S. Pavilion discord
- CNN reported the U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale is unfolding under unusually chaotic conditions. - Curator Jeffrey Uslip, by contrast, called it 'the smoothest exhibition I've curated in 30 years.' - The contrast between media reports and Uslip's remarks highlights organizational strain around the fair. (cnn.com)
The U.S. Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale is opening under a cloud of conflicting accounts, with CNN reporting turmoil as curator Jeffrey Uslip calls it his smoothest show in 30 years. (abc17news.com) Uslip told CNN the Alma Allen exhibition had “complete artistic autonomy” and said Allen’s selection followed the usual process, even as the report described months of delays, uncertainty and last-minute planning before the Biennale opens in May 2026. (abc17news.com) The State Department formally announced the U.S. entry on November 24, 2025, naming the American Arts Conservancy as organizer, Jenni Parido as commissioner and Uslip as curator for Allen’s show, “Call Me the Breeze.” (state.gov) That announcement came after an earlier U.S. plan collapsed. Artsy reported that artist Robert Lazzarini and curator John Ravenal had been selected in September 2025, but their proposal fell apart when negotiations with the University of South Florida’s Contemporary Art Museum broke down. (artsy.net) The Venice Biennale is the world fair-style exhibition where countries mount national presentations in Venice every two years, and the U.S. pavilion usually takes more than a year and millions of dollars in fundraising to organize. CNN reported this year’s team had about six months to raise money and finish planning after delays that included the fall 2025 government shutdown. (artnews.com, abc17news.com) The selection process had already shifted before Allen was named. ARTnews reported that the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs took over the process without the National Endowment for the Arts panel that had typically reviewed proposals in earlier cycles. (artnews.com, artsy.net) The federal rules also changed. Hyperallergic reported that updated grant guidelines for the $375,000 pavilion grant said proposals had to “promote American values” and show an ability to showcase “American exceptionalism and innovation.” (hyperallergic.com) The State Department echoed that language in its November announcement, saying Allen’s exhibition would further the Trump administration’s focus on “showcasing American excellence.” The Art Newspaper reported the show is scheduled to run from May 9 to November 22, 2026, and include around 30 sculptures, including a new outdoor work. (state.gov, theartnewspaper.com) The project also drew attention because other artists turned it down. Hyperallergic reported that Barbara Chase-Riboud and William Eggleston declined the U.S. commission before the organizers moved ahead with Allen. (hyperallergic.com) So the dispute around the pavilion is not just about one quote from one curator. It is about a national exhibition announced late, reorganized after a collapsed first plan, and now heading into Venice with organizers insisting the process worked. (abc17news.com, artsy.net, state.gov)
