The French mega-gallery Perrotin has added sculptor Alma Allen to its roster. Allen, a Utah-born artist based in Mexico, previously sparked controversy when he accepted a nomination to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale during the Trump administration, a decision that led to his departure from his former galleries. In other industry news, the Brooklyn Museum awarded its 2026 UOVO Prize to emerging artist Keisha Scarville, and performance artist Marina Abramović is preparing a new installation of inflatable grass for New York's Balloon Museum.
Allen's move to Perrotin reignites discussion about the political implications of an artist's institutional affiliations. His prior acceptance of a State Department nomination under a politically charged administration raised questions about artistic complicity, making his representation by a global gallery a significant point of commentary on the art market's relationship with politics. Meanwhile, Abramović's playful shift into balloon art marks a notable, if unexpected, departure from her typically austere performance work, testing the boundaries of her established artistic persona.