{"id":1927478,"date":"2026-05-08T10:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T07:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1927478"},"modified":"2026-05-08T10:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T07:00:11","slug":"alma-allen-flops-in-venice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1927478","title":{"rendered":"Alma Allen Flops in Venice"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><main class=\"gh-main\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"gh-article post tag-daily-newsletter tag-newsletter no-image\">\n<header class=\"gh-article-header gh-canvas\">\n<p>                Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"gh-article-title is-title\">Alma Allen Flops in Venice<\/h1>\n<p class=\"gh-article-excerpt is-body\">Plus, a peek into the Biennale&#8217;s main exhibition, a poetic procession for Koyo Kouoh, a film about a painter and an art forger, and more.<\/p>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta\">\n<div class=\"gh-article-author-image instapaper_ignore\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-profile-image\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w160\/2025\/11\/hyperallergic-favicon-d-blank-r-g-s-500.png\" alt=\"Hyperallergic\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-wrapper\">\n<h4 class=\"gh-article-author-name\">Hyperallergic<\/h4>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-content\"><time class=\"gh-article-meta-date\" datetime=\"2026-05-08\">May 8, 2026<\/time><span class=\"gh-article-meta-length\"><span class=\"bull\">\u2014<\/span> 4 min read<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>At the United States pavilion for the 2024 Venice Biennale, Jeffrey Gibson\u2019s work was a joyful celebration of Indigenous life; in 2022, Simone Leigh\u2019s was a hymn to Black sovereignty. How, then, did we get Alma Allen\u2019s art from the \u201cland of the bland\u201d at this year\u2019s edition? That\u2019s precisely what Editor-in-Chief Hakim Bishara wanted to know. Read his full review for a snapshot of the sad state of affairs at this year\u2019s US pavilion. <\/p>\n<p>Also in Venice, Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian offers a peek into <em>In Minor Keys<\/em>, the main exhibition of the Biennale, which he calls \u201can unexpected symphony.\u201d And in the Giardini, Greta Rainbow reports from a poetry procession in honor of Koyo Kouoh, the artistic director of the Biennale, who passed away last May.<\/p>\n<p>More in this edition, including art crime scholar Erin L. Thompson\u2019s reflections on a new film starring the unlikely duo of Ian McKellen as a painter and Michaela Coel as the forger hired to complete his unfinished works.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<em>Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/us-pavilion-ad.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Exterior of the US pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale (photo Hakim Bishara\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"a-whole-lot-of-nothing-at-the-us-pavilion\">A Whole Lot of Nothing at the US Pavilion<\/h3>\n<p>After the last two Biennales searched the soul and history of this nation, how did we end up with this art from the land of the bland? | Hakim Bishara<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/swann-ad.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x675\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><span>At auction May 14, Swann&#8217;s spring offering of Modern &amp; Post-War Art features a selection of works from the era&#8217;s best genres \u2014 Abstract Expressionism, Hard-Edge Abstraction, and Color Field painting \u2014 by Charles Alston, Al Loving, Howard Mehring, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"more-from-venice\">More From Venice<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/DSC00607-1-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Buhlebezwe Siwani\u2019s sculpture and Johannes Phokela\u2019s \u201cThe Seven Virtues\u201d (2024) on view in <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">In Minor Keys<\/em><\/i><span> at the Venice Biennale (photo Hrag Vartanian\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"%E2%80%9Cin-minor-keys%E2%80%9D-hits-all-the-right-notes\">\u201cIn Minor Keys\u201d Hits All the Right Notes<\/h3>\n<p>The Venice Biennale\u2019s international art exhibition is an unexpected symphony that asks us to ponder what may otherwise be overlooked. | Hrag Vartanian<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"artists-pay-tribute-to-koyo-kouoh-in-poetry-caravan-at-venice-biennale\">Artists Pay Tribute to Koyo Kouoh in Poetry Caravan at Venice Biennale<\/h3>\n<p>The late curator\u2019s 1999 voyage with nine African poets inspired a moving procession led by Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons, writers, and musicians. | Greta Rainbow<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/taiwan-ad-1.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x675\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Taiwan Presents \u201cScreen Melancholy: Li Yi-Fan\u201d at the Venice Biennale<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Presented by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Taiwan Collateral Event transforms the space into a dynamic stage at the Palazzo delle Prigioni.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"news\">News<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/folk3-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Workers at the American Folk Art Museum rally outside the institution\u2019s annual gala. (photo Aaron Short\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Workers at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City and local union organizers picketed the museum\u2019s annual gala, demanding higher wages and better benefits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-our-critics\">From Our Critics<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/THE-CHRISTOPHERS_STILL-1_Michaela-Coel-and-Ian-McKellen_Credit-Claudette-Barius-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Still from <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">The Christophers<\/em><\/i><span> (2026) (photo Claudette Barius, courtesy NEON)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"an-unlikely-friendship-between-artist-and-forger\">An Unlikely Friendship Between Artist and Forger<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThe Christophers\u201d is a twisty, delightful yet profound comedy that encouraged me to question my own relationship to art. | Erin L. Thompson<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"keith-haring-before-the-end-of-the-world\">Keith Haring Before the End of the World<\/h3>\n<p>The artist\u2019s free-handed style, on view in works at the Brant Foundation, feels prescient in light of the upcoming AI cataclysm. | Arthur Nersesian<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"community\">Community<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/Garment-Workers-Proofs-115--1--1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Pakistani-born, Brooklyn-based tailor and community leader Hafeez Raza (photo Kara McCurdy, courtesy Office of the Mayor)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"required-reading\">Required Reading<\/h3>\n<p>This week: Mamdani honors garment workers, a fake exchange with Sophie Calle, the first Black American tattoo artist, RIP Spirit Airlines, and more.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"art-movements-new-museum-names-its-first-artist-studio-residents\">Art Movements: New Museum Names Its First Artist Studio Residents<\/h3>\n<p>Plus, Forge Project\u2019s 2026 fellows, the Robert Therrien Estate leaves Gagosian for Zwirner, and this year\u2019s Frieze uniform.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-the-archive\">From the Archive<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/procession-of-angels-sep-7_11.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons Leads a Procession of Hope\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons leads \u201cProcession of Angels for Radical Love and Unity\u201d (2024) on September 7, 2024. (photo Argenis Apolinario, courtesy the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"mar%C3%ADa-magdalena-campos-pons-leads-a-procession-of-hope\">Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons Leads a Procession of Hope<\/h3>\n<p>With stops at sites of significance to Black and Cuban New Yorkers, the artist\u2019s walking performance captures the essence of her practice: harnessing the collective toward a unified vision. | Valentina Di Liscia<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-minimal    \" data-layout=\"minimal\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>Featured Opportunity<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Center for Craft \u2013 2026 Craft Archive Fellowship<\/strong><\/b><br \/><span>Four $5,000 awards will be offered to fellows conducting research on underrepresented craft histories. The fellowship will culminate with a featured article on Hyperallergic and a virtual program hosted by the Center for Craft. Read more on\u00a0<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Deadline: May 20, 2026 |\u00a0<\/span><span>centerforcraft.org<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>See more in\u00a0this month\u2019s list of opportunities\u00a0for artists, writers, and art workers!\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/main><\/p>\n<article class=\"gh-article post tag-daily-newsletter tag-newsletter no-image\">\n<header class=\"gh-article-header gh-canvas\">\n<p>                Daily Newsletter<\/p>\n<h1 class=\"gh-article-title is-title\">Alma Allen Flops in Venice<\/h1>\n<p class=\"gh-article-excerpt is-body\">Plus, a peek into the Biennale&#8217;s main exhibition, a poetic procession for Koyo Kouoh, a film about a painter and an art forger, and more.<\/p>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta\">\n<div class=\"gh-article-author-image instapaper_ignore\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-profile-image\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w160\/2025\/11\/hyperallergic-favicon-d-blank-r-g-s-500.png\" alt=\"Hyperallergic\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-wrapper\">\n<h4 class=\"gh-article-author-name\">Hyperallergic<\/h4>\n<div class=\"gh-article-meta-content\"><time class=\"gh-article-meta-date\" datetime=\"2026-05-08\">May 8, 2026<\/time><span class=\"gh-article-meta-length\"><span class=\"bull\">\u2014<\/span> 4 min read<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>At the United States pavilion for the 2024 Venice Biennale, Jeffrey Gibson\u2019s work was a joyful celebration of Indigenous life; in 2022, Simone Leigh\u2019s was a hymn to Black sovereignty. How, then, did we get Alma Allen\u2019s art from the \u201cland of the bland\u201d at this year\u2019s edition? That\u2019s precisely what Editor-in-Chief Hakim Bishara wanted to know. Read his full review for a snapshot of the sad state of affairs at this year\u2019s US pavilion. <\/p>\n<p>Also in Venice, Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian offers a peek into <em>In Minor Keys<\/em>, the main exhibition of the Biennale, which he calls \u201can unexpected symphony.\u201d And in the Giardini, Greta Rainbow reports from a poetry procession in honor of Koyo Kouoh, the artistic director of the Biennale, who passed away last May.<\/p>\n<p>More in this edition, including art crime scholar Erin L. Thompson\u2019s reflections on a new film starring the unlikely duo of Ian McKellen as a painter and Michaela Coel as the forger hired to complete his unfinished works.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<em>Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/us-pavilion-ad.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Exterior of the US pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale (photo Hakim Bishara\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"a-whole-lot-of-nothing-at-the-us-pavilion\">A Whole Lot of Nothing at the US Pavilion<\/h3>\n<p>After the last two Biennales searched the soul and history of this nation, how did we end up with this art from the land of the bland? | Hakim Bishara<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/swann-ad.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x675\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><span>At auction May 14, Swann&#8217;s spring offering of Modern &amp; Post-War Art features a selection of works from the era&#8217;s best genres \u2014 Abstract Expressionism, Hard-Edge Abstraction, and Color Field painting \u2014 by Charles Alston, Al Loving, Howard Mehring, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"more-from-venice\">More From Venice<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/DSC00607-1-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Buhlebezwe Siwani\u2019s sculpture and Johannes Phokela\u2019s \u201cThe Seven Virtues\u201d (2024) on view in <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">In Minor Keys<\/em><\/i><span> at the Venice Biennale (photo Hrag Vartanian\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"%E2%80%9Cin-minor-keys%E2%80%9D-hits-all-the-right-notes\">\u201cIn Minor Keys\u201d Hits All the Right Notes<\/h3>\n<p>The Venice Biennale\u2019s international art exhibition is an unexpected symphony that asks us to ponder what may otherwise be overlooked. | Hrag Vartanian<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"artists-pay-tribute-to-koyo-kouoh-in-poetry-caravan-at-venice-biennale\">Artists Pay Tribute to Koyo Kouoh in Poetry Caravan at Venice Biennale<\/h3>\n<p>The late curator\u2019s 1999 voyage with nine African poets inspired a moving procession led by Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons, writers, and musicians. | Greta Rainbow<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/taiwan-ad-1.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x675\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Taiwan Presents \u201cScreen Melancholy: Li Yi-Fan\u201d at the Venice Biennale<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Presented by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Taiwan Collateral Event transforms the space into a dynamic stage at the Palazzo delle Prigioni.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"news\">News<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/folk3-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Workers at the American Folk Art Museum rally outside the institution\u2019s annual gala. (photo Aaron Short\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Workers at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City and local union organizers picketed the museum\u2019s annual gala, demanding higher wages and better benefits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-our-critics\">From Our Critics<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/THE-CHRISTOPHERS_STILL-1_Michaela-Coel-and-Ian-McKellen_Credit-Claudette-Barius-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Still from <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">The Christophers<\/em><\/i><span> (2026) (photo Claudette Barius, courtesy NEON)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"an-unlikely-friendship-between-artist-and-forger\">An Unlikely Friendship Between Artist and Forger<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThe Christophers\u201d is a twisty, delightful yet profound comedy that encouraged me to question my own relationship to art. | Erin L. Thompson<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"keith-haring-before-the-end-of-the-world\">Keith Haring Before the End of the World<\/h3>\n<p>The artist\u2019s free-handed style, on view in works at the Brant Foundation, feels prescient in light of the upcoming AI cataclysm. | Arthur Nersesian<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"community\">Community<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/Garment-Workers-Proofs-115--1--1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Pakistani-born, Brooklyn-based tailor and community leader Hafeez Raza (photo Kara McCurdy, courtesy Office of the Mayor)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"required-reading\">Required Reading<\/h3>\n<p>This week: Mamdani honors garment workers, a fake exchange with Sophie Calle, the first Black American tattoo artist, RIP Spirit Airlines, and more.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"art-movements-new-museum-names-its-first-artist-studio-residents\">Art Movements: New Museum Names Its First Artist Studio Residents<\/h3>\n<p>Plus, Forge Project\u2019s 2026 fellows, the Robert Therrien Estate leaves Gagosian for Zwirner, and this year\u2019s Frieze uniform.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-the-archive\">From the Archive<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/procession-of-angels-sep-7_11.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons Leads a Procession of Hope\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons leads \u201cProcession of Angels for Radical Love and Unity\u201d (2024) on September 7, 2024. (photo Argenis Apolinario, courtesy the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"mar%C3%ADa-magdalena-campos-pons-leads-a-procession-of-hope\">Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons Leads a Procession of Hope<\/h3>\n<p>With stops at sites of significance to Black and Cuban New Yorkers, the artist\u2019s walking performance captures the essence of her practice: harnessing the collective toward a unified vision. | Valentina Di Liscia<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-minimal    \" data-layout=\"minimal\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>Featured Opportunity<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Center for Craft \u2013 2026 Craft Archive Fellowship<\/strong><\/b><br \/><span>Four $5,000 awards will be offered to fellows conducting research on underrepresented craft histories. The fellowship will culminate with a featured article on Hyperallergic and a virtual program hosted by the Center for Craft. Read more on\u00a0<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Deadline: May 20, 2026 |\u00a0<\/span><span>centerforcraft.org<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>See more in\u00a0this month\u2019s list of opportunities\u00a0for artists, writers, and art workers!\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<section class=\"gh-content gh-canvas is-body\">\n<p>At the United States pavilion for the 2024 Venice Biennale, Jeffrey Gibson\u2019s work was a joyful celebration of Indigenous life; in 2022, Simone Leigh\u2019s was a hymn to Black sovereignty. How, then, did we get Alma Allen\u2019s art from the \u201cland of the bland\u201d at this year\u2019s edition? That\u2019s precisely what Editor-in-Chief Hakim Bishara wanted to know. Read his full review for a snapshot of the sad state of affairs at this year\u2019s US pavilion. <\/p>\n<p>Also in Venice, Editor-at-Large Hrag Vartanian offers a peek into <em>In Minor Keys<\/em>, the main exhibition of the Biennale, which he calls \u201can unexpected symphony.\u201d And in the Giardini, Greta Rainbow reports from a poetry procession in honor of Koyo Kouoh, the artistic director of the Biennale, who passed away last May.<\/p>\n<p>More in this edition, including art crime scholar Erin L. Thompson\u2019s reflections on a new film starring the unlikely duo of Ian McKellen as a painter and Michaela Coel as the forger hired to complete his unfinished works.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014<em>Lakshmi Rivera Amin, associate editor<\/em><\/p>\n<hr>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/us-pavilion-ad.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Exterior of the US pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale (photo Hakim Bishara\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"a-whole-lot-of-nothing-at-the-us-pavilion\">A Whole Lot of Nothing at the US Pavilion<\/h3>\n<p>After the last two Biennales searched the soul and history of this nation, how did we end up with this art from the land of the bland? | Hakim Bishara<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/swann-ad.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x675\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><span>At auction May 14, Swann&#8217;s spring offering of Modern &amp; Post-War Art features a selection of works from the era&#8217;s best genres \u2014 Abstract Expressionism, Hard-Edge Abstraction, and Color Field painting \u2014 by Charles Alston, Al Loving, Howard Mehring, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"more-from-venice\">More From Venice<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/DSC00607-1-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Buhlebezwe Siwani\u2019s sculpture and Johannes Phokela\u2019s \u201cThe Seven Virtues\u201d (2024) on view in <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">In Minor Keys<\/em><\/i><span> at the Venice Biennale (photo Hrag Vartanian\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"%E2%80%9Cin-minor-keys%E2%80%9D-hits-all-the-right-notes\">\u201cIn Minor Keys\u201d Hits All the Right Notes<\/h3>\n<p>The Venice Biennale\u2019s international art exhibition is an unexpected symphony that asks us to ponder what may otherwise be overlooked. | Hrag Vartanian<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"artists-pay-tribute-to-koyo-kouoh-in-poetry-caravan-at-venice-biennale\">Artists Pay Tribute to Koyo Kouoh in Poetry Caravan at Venice Biennale<\/h3>\n<p>The late curator\u2019s 1999 voyage with nine African poets inspired a moving procession led by Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons, writers, and musicians. | Greta Rainbow<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-white kg-cta-immersive  kg-cta-has-img  \" data-layout=\"immersive\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>SPONSORED<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-image-container\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/taiwan-ad-1.jpg\" alt=\"CTA Image\" data-image-dimensions=\"1200x675\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Taiwan Presents \u201cScreen Melancholy: Li Yi-Fan\u201d at the Venice Biennale<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Presented by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Taiwan Collateral Event transforms the space into a dynamic stage at the Palazzo delle Prigioni.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>                            Learn more<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"news\">News<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/folk3-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Workers at the American Folk Art Museum rally outside the institution\u2019s annual gala. (photo Aaron Short\/<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>Workers at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City and local union organizers picketed the museum\u2019s annual gala, demanding higher wages and better benefits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-our-critics\">From Our Critics<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/THE-CHRISTOPHERS_STILL-1_Michaela-Coel-and-Ian-McKellen_Credit-Claudette-Barius-1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Still from <\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">The Christophers<\/em><\/i><span> (2026) (photo Claudette Barius, courtesy NEON)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"an-unlikely-friendship-between-artist-and-forger\">An Unlikely Friendship Between Artist and Forger<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThe Christophers\u201d is a twisty, delightful yet profound comedy that encouraged me to question my own relationship to art. | Erin L. Thompson<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"keith-haring-before-the-end-of-the-world\">Keith Haring Before the End of the World<\/h3>\n<p>The artist\u2019s free-handed style, on view in works at the Brant Foundation, feels prescient in light of the upcoming AI cataclysm. | Arthur Nersesian<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"community\">Community<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/Garment-Workers-Proofs-115--1--1-1.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Pakistani-born, Brooklyn-based tailor and community leader Hafeez Raza (photo Kara McCurdy, courtesy Office of the Mayor)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"required-reading\">Required Reading<\/h3>\n<p>This week: Mamdani honors garment workers, a fake exchange with Sophie Calle, the first Black American tattoo artist, RIP Spirit Airlines, and more.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"art-movements-new-museum-names-its-first-artist-studio-residents\">Art Movements: New Museum Names Its First Artist Studio Residents<\/h3>\n<p>Plus, Forge Project\u2019s 2026 fellows, the Robert Therrien Estate leaves Gagosian for Zwirner, and this year\u2019s Frieze uniform.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"from-the-archive\">From the Archive<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/2026\/05\/procession-of-angels-sep-7_11.jpg\" class=\"kg-image\" alt=\"Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons Leads a Procession of Hope\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\"><figcaption><span>Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons leads \u201cProcession of Angels for Radical Love and Unity\u201d (2024) on September 7, 2024. (photo Argenis Apolinario, courtesy the artist and Madison Square Park Conservancy)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"mar%C3%ADa-magdalena-campos-pons-leads-a-procession-of-hope\">Mar\u00eda Magdalena Campos-Pons Leads a Procession of Hope<\/h3>\n<p>With stops at sites of significance to Black and Cuban New Yorkers, the artist\u2019s walking performance captures the essence of her practice: harnessing the collective toward a unified vision. | Valentina Di Liscia<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div class=\"kg-card kg-cta-card kg-cta-bg-grey kg-cta-minimal    \" data-layout=\"minimal\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-sponsor-label\"><span>Featured Opportunity<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-content-inner\">\n<div class=\"kg-cta-text\">\n<p><b><strong>Center for Craft \u2013 2026 Craft Archive Fellowship<\/strong><\/b><br \/><span>Four $5,000 awards will be offered to fellows conducting research on underrepresented craft histories. The fellowship will culminate with a featured article on Hyperallergic and a virtual program hosted by the Center for Craft. Read more on\u00a0<\/span><i><em class=\"italic\">Hyperallergic<\/em><\/i><span>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Deadline: May 20, 2026 |\u00a0<\/span><span>centerforcraft.org<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>See more in\u00a0this month\u2019s list of opportunities\u00a0for artists, writers, and art workers!\u00a0<\/p>\n<hr>\n<ul class=\"post-tags\">\n<li>\n                        Daily Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<li>\n                        Newsletter\n                      <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/05\/screen-melancholy.png\" alt=\"Taiwan Presents \u201cScreen Melancholy: Li Yi-Fan\u201d at the Venice Biennale\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Taiwan Presents \u201cScreen Melancholy: Li Yi-Fan\u201d at the Venice Biennale<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Presented by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Taiwan Collateral Event transforms the space into a dynamic stage at the Palazzo delle Prigioni.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM)<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/05\/Kagan_Michelangelo-s-Adam_2025_LKMG.jpg\" alt=\"Steel And Shadows Converge in \u201cLarry Kagan: Men\u201d\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Steel And Shadows Converge in \u201cLarry Kagan: Men\u201d<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">Opening May 9 at Louis K. Meisel Gallery in New York City, this exhibition invites viewers to reconsider sculpture and perception.  <\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">Louis K. Meisel Gallery<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/04\/JemmaByun_SelfPortrait.jpg\" alt=\"SMFA at Tufts Presents Passages, the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">SMFA at Tufts Presents Passages, the 2026 MFA Thesis Exhibition<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">On view from May 5 to 17 in Medford, Massachusetts, this exhibition represents the graduating class and their journeys through worlds visited and imaged. <\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">SMFA at Tufts<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"gh-card post\">\n<figure class=\"gh-card-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ghost.io\/c\/51\/f8\/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a\/content\/images\/size\/w600\/2026\/04\/CongressVotingIndependence1856x1350.jpg\" alt=\"Five Independent Souls: The Signers from New Jersey\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gh-card-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"gh-card-title is-title\">Five Independent Souls: The Signers from New Jersey<\/h3>\n<p class=\"gh-card-excerpt is-body\">This exhibition at Morven Museum &amp; Garden in Princeton examines the lives of the Declaration\u2019s signers, and those they enslaved, through over 100 historic artifacts.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"gh-card-meta\"><span class=\"gh-card-author\">Morven Museum &amp; Garden<\/span><\/footer>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/alma-allen-flops-in-venice\/&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;&#8221;] Daily Newsletter Alma Allen Flops in Venice Plus, a peek into the Biennale&#8217;s main exhibition, a poetic procession for Koyo Kouoh, a film about a painter and an art forger, and more. Hyperallergic May 8, 2026\u2014 4 min read At the United States pavilion for the 2024 Venice Biennale, Jeffrey Gibson\u2019s work [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,69],"class_list":["post-1927478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-hyperallergic-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1927478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1927478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1927478\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1927478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1927478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1927478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}