Musoke Nalwoga: From Kampala to Co-Curator of Noorderlicht Biënnale

Musoke Nalwoga, who hails from Uganda and moved to the Netherlands in 2011, has gained recognition as a curator. In February 2026, she was appointed co-curator for the 31st Noorderlicht Biënnale, collaborating with director Roosje Klap to explore the theme 'Play' through the lens of generative conflict. Nalwoga received a grant from the Mondriaan Fonds to study the Hartwig Art Production Collection Fund, which is managed by Beatrix Ruf and focuses on acquiring works for the Dutch National Collection. Her research, 'Zij Die Hier Zijn, Zijn Van Hier', is inspired by a text painting from Walter Swennen and a quote from former Poet Laureate Babs Gons, examining how new commissions can reshape narratives of national identity. While completing her Master of Fine Arts in Critical Studies at the Sandberg Instituut, she founded the non-profit art space Motormond, highlighting pan-diaspora cultures and BIPOC/queer identities. Previously, she co-curated Patricia Kaersenhout's solo show 'Into the Deep Loving Darkness' at Framer Framed and Kunstverein Braunschweig. The first Noorderlicht exhibition she co-curates, 'What knots knot knots?' (July 4–August 30, 2026), features artists like Koos Breukel and Cihad Caner, addressing the colonial history in northern Netherlands archives.