ArtAsiaPacific’s May/June Issue Honors Koyo Kouoh’s ‘In Minor Keys’ Venice Biennale
Set to commence in May 2026, the 61st Venice Biennale, curated by Koyo Kouoh, carries the theme “In Minor Keys.” Kouoh, who made history as the first African-born woman to head the Biennale, focused on emotional resonance from the Global South. Following her passing in 2025, ArtAsiaPacific’s May/June edition pays tribute to her vision and her team, which includes Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Hélène Pereira, Rasha Salti, Siddhartha Mitter, and Rory Tsapayi. The cover showcases Gala Porras-Kim, a MacArthur Fellow from 2025, and features Khaled Sabsabi, who represents Australia. The publication also explores works by Liang Yuanwei, Yuko Mohri, and Mona Hatoum, along with profiles of Gayane Umerova and Li Yi-Fan, and previews of pavilions from the Philippines, Singapore, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
Key facts
- The 61st Venice Biennale, titled 'In Minor Keys', opens in May 2026.
- Curator Koyo Kouoh, the first African-born woman to helm the Biennale, died in 2025.
- ArtAsiaPacific's May/June issue honors Kouoh's curatorial vision.
- Gala Porras-Kim, a 2025 MacArthur Fellow, contributes to the Applied Arts Pavilion with the Victoria & Albert Museum.
- Khaled Sabsabi represents Australia in the Giardini and in the main exhibition.
- Sabsabi performed hip-hop as 'Peacefender' in 1980s Western Sydney.
- Works by Liang Yuanwei, Yuko Mohri, and Mona Hatoum are featured in Up Close.
- Tadanori Yokoo's career is charted by Edward M. Gómez in Inside Burger Collection.
- Gayane Umerova is founding commissioner of Uzbekistan's national pavilion since 2022.
- Li Yi-Fan's animations are in the Taiwan Pavilion.
- Hyeree Ro prepares sculptures for the Korea Pavilion in her Brooklyn studio.
- Reiko Tomii writes on Ei Arakawa-Nash and queer artistic lineage.
- Previews cover pavilions from the Philippines, Singapore, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
- Ade Darmawan of ruangrupa contributes to The Point.
Entities
Artists
- Koyo Kouoh
- Gala Porras-Kim
- Khaled Sabsabi
- Liang Yuanwei
- Yuko Mohri
- Mona Hatoum
- Tadanori Yokoo
- Gayane Umerova
- Li Yi-Fan
- Hyeree Ro
- Ei Arakawa-Nash
- Shūsaku Arakawa
- Madeline Gins
- Natasha Tontey
- Riar Rizaldi
- Ade Darmawan
- Valentina Buzzi
- Annette Meier
- Edward M. Gómez
- Louis Lu
- Ho Won Kim
- Reiko Tomii
- Huang Jiehua
- Elaine W. Ng
- Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo
- Marie Hélène Pereira
- Rasha Salti
- Siddhartha Mitter
- Rory Tsapayi
Institutions
- Venice Biennale
- ArtAsiaPacific
- Victoria & Albert Museum
- MacArthur Foundation
- Burger Collection
- Taiwan Pavilion
- Korea Pavilion
- Uzbekistan Pavilion
- ruangrupa
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- London
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Giardini
- Western Sydney
- Lebanon
- Brooklyn
- New York
- United States
- Uzbekistan
- Philippines
- Singapore
- UAE
- Saudi Arabia
- Beijing
- China