The 61st Venice Biennale opens in ten days. But, details regarding how exactly the United States is financing its pavilion of Alma Allen sculptures remain unclear. In the absence of tent-pole sponsors like the Ford Foundation and the Mellon Foundation—who both supported Jeffrey Gibson’s pavilion in 2024—the pavilion’s commissioner, the American Arts Conservancy, is soliciting donations.
The U.S. government traditionally contributes $375,000 towards each of its Biennale pavilions. Alas, these presentations typically cost seven figures. Allen’s is no different. His installation “significantly exceeds the federal grant amount,” a State Department spokesperson told Hyperallergic.
Alma Allen, (2016) Photo courtesy of Perrotin
Thus, the AAC is turning to its own network of supporters, which includes Nevada-based Republican donors Jim and Aimee Battista, New York-based talent manager Tom Ierna, and Venezuela-born actor Alex Pita—according to photos from a dinner AAC hosted in December.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore America’s artistic presence abroad while realigning its foundations at home,” the campaign’s landing page explains. Unlike the AAC’s other major initiative recruiting donors for its Conservancy Council—which is linked twice on the one year-old nonprofit’s home page—the more focused Venice Biennale fundraiser does not seem to be linked anywhere on its site.
While the AAC did not respond to a request for comment regarding when it launched the campaign, the page has been live since at least November. There, the AAC suggests pre-set contributions ranging from $100 to $10,000. But, there is no set minimum for those who select “custom amount”. (France’s Chambord Castle recently adopted a similar policy, in a strategic bid to increase engagement.) The AAC has also not answered inquiries about how much the campaign aims to raise, how much it’s garnered thus far, or when it will conclude.
Alma Allen. Photo courtesy of Perrotin
Indeed, the Biennale’s imminent opening will cap off the U.S. pavilion’s winding, cryptic saga. After curator John Ravenal failed to secure New York-based sculptor Robert Lazzarini as this year’s representative, Ravenal’s replacement, Jeffrey Uslip, scored Allen. The artist’s galleries subsequently dropped him. Perrotin picked him up soon after. “Our conversations with Alma began before he was selected for the Venice Biennale,” a representative for the gallery, which is only providing “operational and logistical support” for the pavilion, told me over text.
Parido, meanwhile, has stated that a portion of the proceeds from AAC’s Venice campaign will benefit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. The Foundation has not yet stated whether they were previously aware of the gift.
Source: Exhibition - news.artnet.com
