61st Venice Biennale 'In Minor Keys' Opens Amid Protests, Honoring Late Curator Koyo Kouoh
The 61st Venice Biennale, titled 'In Minor Keys' and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, opened on May 7, 2026, with preview day marked by protests at the Israeli and Russian pavilions. The international exhibition features 110 invited participants across the Giardini and Arsenale, with a somber curatorial press conference where advisor Rasha Salti noted the absence of Kouoh, who died at 57 in May 2025. Research assistant Rory Tsapayi described the exhibition as about 'attunement and attention,' reflecting Kouoh's methodology of listening to artists. Highlights include Wangechi Mutu's installations, Ebony G. Patterson's peacock juxtaposed with Kambui Olujimi's 'North Star' watercolors, and banners with quotes from Refaat al-Areer, Toni Morrison, and Ben Okri. Other notable works include María Magdalena Campos-Pons and Kamaal Malak's tribute to Kouoh, Sawangwongse Yawnghwe's piece on the Rohingya genocide, and Nick Cave's sculpture. More protests are planned for May 8.
Key facts
- The 61st Venice Biennale 'In Minor Keys' opened on May 7, 2026.
- Artistic director Koyo Kouoh died in May 2025 at age 57.
- The exhibition features 110 invited participants.
- Protests occurred at the Israeli and Russian pavilions during preview.
- More actions are planned for May 8, 2026.
- Rasha Salti and Rory Tsapayi spoke at the curatorial press conference.
- Wangechi Mutu, Ebony G. Patterson, and Kambui Olujimi are among featured artists.
- Banners display quotes from Refaat al-Areer, Toni Morrison, and Ben Okri.
Entities
Artists
- Koyo Kouoh
- Rasha Salti
- Rory Tsapayi
- Wangechi Mutu
- Ebony G. Patterson
- Kambui Olujimi
- Refaat al-Areer
- Toni Morrison
- Ben Okri
- María Magdalena Campos-Pons
- Kamaal Malak
- Sawangwongse Yawnghwe
- Nick Cave
- Celia Vásquez Yui
- Beverly Buchanan
- Edouard Duval-Carrié
- Bonnie Devine
- Annalee Davis
- Walid Raad
- Nolan Oswald Dennis
- Rajni Perera
- Marigold Santos
- Kaloki Nyamai
- Uriel Orlow
- Nicholas Hlobo
- Alfredo Jaar
- Sohrab Hura
- Pussy Riot
- Issa Samb
- Alvaro Barrington
- Godfried Donkor
- Yoshiko Shimada
- Rose Salane
- Billie Zangewa
- Mohammed Z. Rahman
- Laurie Anderson
- Kader Attia
- Torkwase Dyson
- Julie Mehretu
- Paul Pfeiffer
- Lawrence Chua
- Yinka Shonibare
- Marcel Duchamp
- Édouard Glissant
- James Baldwin
- Gabriel García Márquez
- Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo
- Marie Hélène Pereira
- Siddhartha Mitter
- Big Chief Demond Melancon
- Otobong Nkanga
- Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons
- Mohammed Joha
- Tammy Nguyen
- Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka
- Guadalupe Maravilla
- Adriano Pedrosa
- Marie Helene Pereira
- Rory Tsapayia
- Alberto Villa
- Ranti Bam
- Khaled Sabsabi
- Berni Searle
- Florence Lazar
- Sofía Gallisá Muriente
- Carrie Schneider
- Cauleen Smith
- Yo-E Ryou
- Avi Mograbi
- Pauline Oliveros
- Michael Joo
- Refaat Alareer
- Amah-Rose Abrams
- Big Chief Demond
- Cecilia Vicuña
- Vera Tamari
- BuBu de La Madeleine
- Alice Maher
- Adebunmi Gbadebo
- Carsten Höller
- Theo Eshetu
Institutions
- Venice Biennale
- Hyperallergic
- Raw Material Company
- Zeitz Mocaa
- Garage Museum of Contemporary Art
- Haus der Kulturen der Welt
- Villa Albertine
- Denniston Hill
- GAS Foundation
- Wolff Architects
- Laboratoire Agit'Art
- The Art Newspaper
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Artribune
- Zeitz MOCAA
- BLAXtarlines
- International Criminal Court
- exibart Italia
- exibart.es
- Labics
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Arsenale
- Giardini
- India
- Haiti
- Barbados
- Dakar
- Senegal
- Cape Town
- South Africa
- London
- United Kingdom
- Berlin
- Germany
- Moscow
- Russia
- New York
- United States
- Georgia
- Catskills
- New York State
- Nigeria
- Timbuktu
- Mali
- Hamburg
- Central Pavilion
- Corderie
- Gaza
- El Salvador
- Corderie dell'Arsenale
- Nairobi
- Kenya
- Brooklyn
- Lagos
- Chile
- Caribbean
- Central America
- South America
- Puerto Rico
- Los Angeles
- South Korea
- Ghana
- Middle East
- Israel
- New Orleans
- Ramallah
- Palestine
- Osaka
- Japan
- Ireland
- Lebanon
- Rohingya
- Roma
- Vietnam