ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

61st Venice Biennale Arte 2026 Guide: Koyo Kouoh's 'In Minor Keys' and Beyond

exhibition · 2026-03-24

The 61st International Art Exhibition at La Biennale di Venezia, titled 'In Minor Keys' and curated by Koyo Kouoh, will take place from May 9 to November 22, 2026, with preview days set for May 6–8. This main exhibition showcases 110 artists, focusing on emotional depth and subtlety. Notable themes include 'Shrines' dedicated to Issa Samb and Beverly Buchanan, 'processions,' and 'Schools' featuring RAW Material Company and blaxTARLINES KUMASI. Artists like Nick Cave, Ebony G. Patterson, and Torkwase Dyson are among the participants. The scenography, designed by Wolff Architects, incorporates indigo banners. Additional exhibitions include Chiara Camoni's 'Con te con tutto' and Yto Barrada's 'Comme Saturne.' Recommended accommodations are Hotel Cipriani and The Gritti Palace.

Key facts

  • 61st Venice Biennale runs May 9–November 22, 2026
  • Curator Koyo Kouoh titled the central exhibition 'In Minor Keys'
  • 110 participants at Giardini and Arsenale
  • Italian Pavilion features Chiara Camoni, sponsored by Zegna
  • French Pavilion features Yto Barrada, curated by Myriam Ben Salah
  • Fondazione Dries Van Noten presents over 200 works at Palazzo Pisani Moretta
  • Lu Yang's 'DOKU The Illusion' at Espace Louis Vuitton Venezia
  • 'Strange Rules' at Palazzo Diedo by Berggruen Arts & Culture
  • Michael Armitage exhibition at Pinault Collection – Palazzo Grassi
  • Lorna Simpson exhibition at Pinault Collection – Punta della Dogana

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • La Biennale di Venezia
  • RAW Material Company
  • blaxTARLINES KUMASI
  • Wolff Architects
  • Zegna
  • Fondazione Dries Van Noten
  • Espace Louis Vuitton Venezia
  • Berggruen Arts & Culture
  • Pinault Collection
  • Palazzo Grassi
  • Punta della Dogana
  • Bottega Veneta
  • Hotel Cipriani
  • Belmond Hotel
  • The Gritti Palace
  • Marriott
  • Harry's Bar
  • Cipriani
  • Le Cementine
  • Whitewall
  • Andrew Edlin Gallery
  • Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation
  • Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute (NCAI)
  • lugar a dudas
  • Denniston Hill
  • Laboratoire Agit’Art
  • Contemporary And (C&)
  • Laboratoire Agit'Art
  • Venice Biennale
  • Creative Australia
  • Victoria and Albert Museum
  • ArtAsiaPacific
  • fierce pussy
  • G.A.S. Foundation
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, London
  • Applied Arts Pavilion
  • Untitled Association
  • Marignana Arte
  • Gladstone Gallery
  • Galleria Lia Rumma
  • Magonza editore
  • Pier Luigi Nervi Foundation
  • Fondazione Prada
  • Fondation Wilmotte
  • Bea Vita
  • Ikona Photo Gallery
  • M9 – Museo del '900
  • Circuit
  • KOOCH
  • blaxTARLINES
  • Fondazione di Studi Storici Filippo Turati
  • Museo Nazionale Collezione Salce
  • Casa Museo Sandro Pertini
  • Museo di Savona
  • Biennale di Venezia
  • BIANCOSCURO
  • Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport (Albania)
  • Directorate for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship (Argentina)
  • The Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport Republic of Austria
  • National Gallery of Canada
  • Museum of Anthropology and Contemporary Art (MAAC)
  • Egyptian Ministry of Culture – Accademia d’Egitto A Roma
  • Frame Contemporary Art Finland
  • Institut français
  • ifa – Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen
  • British Council
  • Designboom
  • U.S. Department of State
  • National Endowment for the Arts
  • Anga - Art Not Genocide Alliance
  • Giardini della Biennale
  • Arsenale di Venezia
  • Pina Magazine

Locations

  • Venice
  • Italy
  • Giardini
  • Arsenale
  • Palazzo Pisani Moretta
  • San Polo
  • Calle del Ridotto
  • Palazzo Diedo
  • Fondamenta Trapolin
  • Campo San Samuele
  • Dorsoduro
  • Giudecca
  • San Marco
  • Roncade Treviso
  • Venice lagoon
  • Senegal
  • Nigeria
  • Kenya
  • Ghana
  • Colombia
  • United States
  • Dakar
  • Timbuktu
  • Cape Town
  • South Africa
  • Sydney
  • Australia
  • London
  • United Kingdom
  • Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
  • Palazzo Marin
  • Campo Manin
  • Palazzo Nervi
  • Fondazione Prada
  • Ca' Corner della Regina
  • Cannaregio
  • Ex Chiesa di Santa Caterina
  • Convitto Foscarini
  • Fondation Wilmotte
  • Fondaco degli Angeli
  • Bea Vita
  • Fondamenta de le Capuzine
  • Ghetto Nuovo
  • Ikona Photo Gallery
  • Mestre
  • Ponte della Libertà
  • Teatro Corso
  • Piazza Erminio Ferretto
  • Circuit
  • Calle del Gambero
  • Via Giordano Bruno
  • New York
  • Iran
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Savona
  • Florence
  • Treviso
  • Stella
  • Salvador
  • San Juan
  • Beirut
  • Paris
  • Nashville
  • Republic of Guinea
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Nauru
  • Qatar
  • Sierra Leone
  • Somalia
  • Vietnam
  • Forte Marghera
  • Venezia
  • Città del Capo
  • Venice mainland
  • Albania
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Austria
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahamas
  • Belgium
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Cyprus
  • Denmark
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Egypt
  • Estonia
  • Ethiopia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Great Britain
  • Greece
  • Guinea
  • San Trovaso Art Space, Dorsoduro
  • Palazzo Malipiero, San Marco
  • Fondamenta Case Nuove 2738/C, Castello – Tesa 41, Arsenale Militare
  • Campo della Tana, Castello
  • Centro Culturale Don Orione Artigianelli, Zattere
  • Associazione Culturale Spiazzi, Castello
  • Palazzo Mora, Cannaregio
  • Palazzo Donà dalle Rose, Cannaregio
  • Patronato Salesiano Leone XIII, Castello
  • Palazzo Bollani, Castello
  • Russia
  • Ukraine
  • Israel
  • Palestine
  • Africa
  • Giardini della Biennale
  • Arsenale di Venezia
  • Cameroon
  • Switzerland

Sources