In Minor Keys by Koyo Kouoh

The 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale will be titled In Minor Keys, a concept developed by curator Koyo Kouoh before her death in May 2025. The organization has confirmed it will fully honor the project she shaped over several months, with the support of her family and close collaborators.

Kouoh was appointed Director of the Visual Arts Department in November 2024, after accepting the invitation from Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. She worked intensively on the exhibition’s structure, artist selection, and theoretical framework, completing much of the planning shortly before her passing.

Scheduled to run from May 9 to November 22, 2026, the Biennale will feature the curatorial team handpicked by Kouoh, including Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Helene Pereira, Rasha Salti, and Siddhartha Mitter. Final details of the exhibition will be announced in Venice in February 2026.

Renowned for her commitment to contemporary African art and her leadership at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, Kouoh leaves behind a significant legacy that the Biennale seeks to preserve in this upcoming edition.