A very American controversy on the art world’s biggest stage — with a Utah-born sculptor at the center

Trump has taken an active role in the arts in his second term, which may be evident in the work on display at the Venice Biennale — depending on how you look at it.

(Casey Kelbaugh | The New York Times) Two sparring bronze figures in foreground, 2024, and right, black sheep, 2026, part of American sculptor Alma Allen’s “Call Me the Breeze” presentation in the Giardini of the Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy, May 6, 2026.