Venice Art Biennale to honour late curator Koyo Kouoh with 2026 exhibition ‘In Minor Keys’

Published on 27/05/2025 - 16:33 GMT+2

The curatorial imagination for nan 61st Venice Biennale, 'In Minor Keys', was revealed successful Venice coming successful an affectional position astatine nan Sala delle Colonne of Ca’ Giustinian, nan Biennale’s historical headquarters.

Originally group for announcement later this year, nan taxable was unveiled up of schedule pursuing nan sad and unexpected decease of nan exhibition’s curator, Koyo Kouoh, connected 10 May.

A starring fig successful promoting Pan-Africanism passim nan creation world, Kouoh had served arsenic executive head and main curator astatine nan Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa successful Cape Town, South Africa since 2019.

She earned world acclaim for curating nan 2022 accumulation When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration successful Painting, a monumental humanities show inspired by Ava DuVernay’s Netflix miniseries When They See Us, and became nan first African woman invited to lead nan Venice Art Biennale successful December 2024.

With nan support of Kouoh’s family, La Biennale di Venezia confirmed it will proceed pinch nan 2026 accumulation precisely arsenic she conceived it, successful what will now beryllium a posthumous tribute to her life's work.

As they noted, nan version will research nan spaces successful which insignificant keys operate, to conceive "an accumulation that invites listening to nan persistent signals of world and life, connecting to psyche frequencies. If successful music, nan insignificant keys are often associated pinch strangeness, melancholy, and sorrow, present their joy, solace, hope, and transcendence manifest arsenic well."

Scheduled to tally from 9 May to 22 November 2026, 'In Minor Keys' will return spot crossed nan Giardini, nan Arsenale, and various venues passim Venice.

The afloat database of participating artists, nan exhibition’s ocular identity, and nationalist pavilions will beryllium officially announced astatine a property convention connected 25 February 2026.