Koyo Kouoh at the Helm of the 2026 Biennale Arte: an inclusive and global vision for the 61st International Art Exhibition
The Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, has appointed Koyo Kouoh as the Director of the Visual Arts Department. Her primary role will be to curate the 61st International Art Exhibition in 2026.
Who is Koyo Kouoh?
Originally from Cameroon and Switzerland, Koyo Kouoh is a prominent figure in contemporary art. Since 2019, she has led the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town, South Africa, serving as both Executive Director and Chief Curator. Founder of RAW Material Company in Dakar, Kouoh has collaborated with documenta 12 (2007) and 13 (2012), two of the world’s most influential art events. Her contributions to the art world earned her the Grand Prix Meret Oppenheim in 2020, a prestigious Swiss accolade.
A Global Curatorial Vision
Kouoh stands out for a career that blends Pan-African and international perspectives. Among her most renowned exhibitions:
- Body Talk: Feminism, Sexuality and the Body (2015), focused on the works of six African female artists;
- Still (the) Barbarians (2016), curated for EVA International, the Ireland Biennale;
- Dig Where You Stand (2018), an exhibition project for the 57th Carnegie International in the United States.
At the same time, she launched the research project Saving Bruce Lee: African and Arab Cinema in the Era of Soviet Cultural Diplomacy (2015-2018) and curated the Educational and Artistic Program of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London and New York.
Recent Publications and Exhibitions
A prolific author, Kouoh has published key works such as When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting (2022) and Condition Report on Art History in Africa (2020). At Zeitz MOCAA, her work has focused on solo exhibitions by African artists and those from the diaspora, including Otobong Nkanga, Tracey Rose, and Abdoulaye Konaté.
Towards the 2026 Biennale Arte
Koyo Kouoh’s appointment signals a commitment to openness and dialogue with new global artistic narratives. Her visionary approach promises to enrich the Biennale, making it once again an essential event for the international art scene.
