Alma Allen says galleries withdrew Venice Biennale support after publicist’s advice

Artist Alma Allen said Monday that two galleries withdrew support for his U.S. Pavilion at the Venice Biennale after advice from David Resnicow, a prominent art-world publicist whose firm has worked on six previous American pavilions.

“Two of the three galleries that withdrew their support for my pavilion informed me that they did so on the advice of David Resnicow,” Allen wrote on Instagram.

Resnicow has denied trying to block support for Allen. He previously told The New York Times that he never told anyone not to work with Allen and said his concerns were about whether the American Arts Conservancy, the nonprofit commissioner for the pavilion, could successfully realize the project.

The publicist called Allen’s latest claims “baffling” and denied discouraging support for him in remarks to ARTnews on Monday.

The sculptor, who was selected to represent the United States at the 2026 Venice Biennale, also said in the post that he did not apply for the pavilion and did not receive an artist fee or production funds.

Allen said curator Jeffrey Uslip told him he was one of five artists on a shortlist created by professionals from the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts in Embassies and the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

He identified the other artists on the shortlist as Julie Mehretu, Barbara Chase-Riboud, Kennedy Yanko and William Eggleston.

He said he expected the selection process to be made public, but it was not.

The post adds to scrutiny of the U.S. Pavilion, which has drawn criticism over how Allen was selected and over the role of the American Arts Conservancy, a newly formed nonprofit overseeing and organizing the exhibition.

The New York Times previously reported that the normal process for selecting the American representative involved convening a panel of museum curators and previous commissioners to judge applicants.

Allen described three galleries as having withdrawn support from the pavilion. He said two told him they acted on Resnicow’s advice, while the third withdrew for a different reason.

“The third gallery withdrew because another artist they represent threatened to shame them publicly for supporting me,” Allen wrote.

Allen did not name the galleries in the Instagram post. ARTnews reported Monday that Allen later identified them as Kasmin, Mendes Wood DM and Pace.

He had been represented internationally by Kasmin and Mendes Wood DM, but both galleries cut ties with him after he accepted the State Department’s nomination for the Biennale, The New York Times reported in March.

Pace had explored representing Allen, now represented by Perrotin, after he was dropped by Kasmin and Mendes Wood DM, but did not do so. Pace told ARTnews that Resnicow “did not advise us against working with Alma Allen.” Last week, Pace made deep cuts to its artist roster and staff.

Allen said in his Instagram post that he had never met Resnicow, but Resnicow’s name came up frequently from people who said he warned them not to support the pavilion. Those people included arts writers, museum directors, funders, curators and two of the three galleries that withdrew support.

Allen has previously said he maintained full artistic control over the exhibition and was representing the United States, not the Trump administration.

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