Galerie Allen

Galerie Allen is a contemporary art gallery based in Paris that operates as a platform for exhibitions in which the commercial dimension is considered part of a broader artistic and intellectual ecology. Founded and directed by Joseph Allen Shea, whose background includes curatorial practice, and the artist Mel O’Callaghan, the gallery draws on their combined experience across institutional, independent, and artistic contexts. This approach positions the gallery as a space for critical reflection on how artistic production, presentation, and exchange intersect.

The gallery supports a group of artists working across different generations and geographies, connected less by a shared aesthetic than by a commitment to independence, intellectual rigor, and conceptual clarity. Galerie Allen’s program does not prescribe specific media or formal tendencies, instead allowing for a wide range of practices and materials. Through this open yet focused model, the gallery fosters dialogue-driven exhibitions that prioritize thought, experimentation, and critical engagement within a contemporary art framework.