The art world is buzzing with the announcement that Koyo Kouoh, a celebrated curator and art leader, has been named Artistic Director for the 2026 Venice Biennale, the largest and most prestigious recurring art exhibition globally.
This historic appointment makes Kouoh the second African-born curator to helm the Biennale, following Okwui Enwezor’s groundbreaking leadership in 2015. A Cameroon-born, Swiss resident, Kouoh is known for her transformative impact as executive director and chief curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art in Cape Town. Her work, including the critically acclaimed When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting and solo exhibitions for artists like Tracey Rose and Abdoulaye Konaté, has garnered global recognition.
A Visionary Career
Kouoh’s influence extends beyond museums. In 2008, she founded RAW Material Company in Dakar, Senegal, to foster open dialogues about art in a region where independent spaces were scarce. Her curatorial expertise has shaped prestigious platforms such as Documenta, EVA International, and the Carnegie International.
It is a once-in-a-lifetime honor to follow in the footsteps of luminary predecessors. I aim to create an exhibition that resonates with the world we live in and the one we aspire to build.
– Kouoh stated, reflecting on her appointment
A Dynamic Era for La Biennale
The Biennale’s president, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, praised Kouoh as a curator who bridges scholarship with innovation. He highlighted her ability to engage with emerging and disruptive creative voices while maintaining the Biennale’s century-long legacy as a platform for future-focused art.
The 2024 Biennale, themed around queer perspectives and the Global South, marked the first edition under Buttafuoco’s leadership. While its success reassured skeptics, Kouoh’s 2026 exhibition will be the first fully realized under his tenure—a true litmus test for his vision for La Biennale.
Art enthusiasts and professionals alike are eager to see how Kouoh’s pioneering perspective will shape the 2026 Venice Biennale, promising a transformative and resonant exploration of art on a global stage.