Following Adriano Pedrosa's deep dive into South America and the region's interconnected Traditional knowledge, the Venice Biennale turns its attention to the vast and dynamic art scene of the African continent. The Biennale has named Cameroon-born curator Koyo Kouoh as artistic director of the 61st International Art Exhibition, scheduled for 2026. Kouoh's appointment marks a historic moment: she is the first African woman to preside over this prestigious event and the second curator born in Africa. to assume this role, following the 2015 initiative initiated by Okwui Enwezor.
“It is an honor and a privilege to live and live forever to follow in the footsteps of those who were before the light …,” Kouoh said in a statement, “and to create an exhibition that I hope will have meaning in the world we live in now. – and most importantly, in the world we want to create.” He continued to call the artists as “observers and social scientists” who allow us to show and produce in different ways, showing an ambitious and powerful vision of the world that will undoubtedly bring to Venice.
Currently the executive director and chief curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town, Kouoh has played a transformative role since joining the institution in 2019. Under his leadership, the museum has strengthened its reputation as a leading institution. contemporary African art and its diaspora. Among his many accomplishments, he led the landmark 2022/2024 exhibition “When We See Us: A Century of Black Imagery in Painting,” the largest and most comprehensive exploration of black representation, cultural and historical expression to date, and beyond. 100 works by African artists and the African Diaspora worldwide.
SEE ALSO: National Gallery's 'NG Stories' Exhibition Missing Chapter
Kouoh was born in Cameroon in 1967 and grew up in Zurich, living a global life as his therapy, dividing his time between Cape Town, Dakar and Basel. His notable work includes curatorial roles at Documenta 12 and 13 in Kassel, Germany, and notable exhibitions such as “Still (the) Barbarians” for the 37th EVA International in Limerick in 2016 and “Body Talk : Feminism, Sexuality and the Body The Works of Six African Women Artists” at WIELS in Brussels in 2015. Kouoh also curated the Art Program of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair from 2013 to 2017, which strengthens his reputation as a champion of African and foreign artists.
In 2009, Kouoh founded the Raw Material Company, an art center in Dakar that focuses on health care practices and art criticism. The Raw Material Company has become a center for intellectual development in Africa, covering fields such as literature, film, fashion and architecture. Apart from the leadership of the institution, Kouoh contributed greatly to the growth of African artists such as Abdoulaye Konate, Otobong Nkanga, Johannes Phokela and Tracey Rose, who prepared the first major monograph.
Although it is too early to speculate on his specific themes, Kouoh's history suggests a Biennale that will highlight Africa's contributions to global culture, a framework within the global discourse on historical injustice, colonial inequality and other pressing environmental and economic issues that connect the world. continent all over the world.
His appointment clearly demonstrates the Biennale's commitment to maintaining a global and progressive artistic dialogue, as Italy faces political and cultural changes. Concerns are widespread about the influence of Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government and the recent appointment of conservative journalist Pietrangelo Buttafuoco as president of the Biennale, which some fear indicates a shift toward cultural conservatism. In this context, Kouoh's choice feels like a deliberate contradiction, confirming the Biennale's position as an independent international forum for contemporary art.
Buttafuoco himself gave a poetic view of his appointment, announcing in the press that, “The appointment of Koyo Kouoh as director of the Visual Arts Sector is a recognition of a broad vision at the beginning of a day full of new words and eyes. His vision as a curator, scholar, and influential person in the community meets with brilliant intelligence very, very young and disruptive. Having him here in Venice, La Biennale confirms what we have given the world for more than a century: to be the home of the future.”
