Koyo Kouoh's Posthumous Venice Biennale 'In Minor Keys' Opens Amid Controversy
The 61st Venice Biennale Arte, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, has opened at the Giardini and Arsenale. The exhibition features 110 participants from the Global South, emphasizing spirituality, rest, and decolonial narratives. The show is marked by controversies including the exclusion of Western artists, participation of countries accused of war crimes, jury resignations, and artist boycotts. Highlights include Otobong Nkanga's entrance sculptures, Big Chief Demond Melancon's Black Masking Indian costume, and Alfredo Jaar's miniature cube of critical minerals. The curatorial team—Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Helene Pereira, Rasha Salti, Siddhartha Mitter, and Rory Tsapayi—completed the project after Kouoh's death in May 2026.
Key facts
- 61st Venice Biennale Arte titled 'In Minor Keys' curated by Koyo Kouoh
- Koyo Kouoh died in May 2026 before the opening
- Exhibition features 110 participants including artists, duos, collectives, and organizations
- Strong focus on artists from the Global South
- Controversies include jury resignations, artist boycotts, and protests at national pavilions
- Otobong Nkanga created entrance sculptures with local bricks, Murano glass, and ivy
- Big Chief Demond Melancon presented 'Amistad Takeover' costume
- Alfredo Jaar's 'The End of the World' is a 4 cm cube of ten critical minerals
- Curatorial team: Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Helene Pereira, Rasha Salti, Siddhartha Mitter, Rory Tsapayi
- Exhibition structured around concepts of Shrines, Processions, Schools, and Creole Gardens
Entities
Artists
- Koyo Kouoh
- Otobong Nkanga
- Big Chief Demond Melancon
- Issa Samb
- Beverly Buchanan
- Daniel Lind-Ramos
- Seyni Awa Camara
- Werewere Liking
- Celia Vásquez Yui
- Magdalena Campos Pons
- Marcel Duchamp
- Yoshiko Shimada
- Fierce Pussy
- Adenubmi Gbadebo
- Mohammed Z. Rahman
- Ebony G. Patterson
- Mohammed Joha
- Khaled Sabsabi
- Berni Searle
- Ranti Bam
- Carrie Schneider
- Chris Marker
- Theo Eshetu
- Tabita Rezaire
- Nick Cave
- Sawangwongse Yawnghwe
- Annalee Davis
- Carolina Caycedo
- Kennedy Yanko
- Michael Joo
- Uriel Orlow
- Joana Hadjithomas
- Khalil Joreige
- Dawn DeDeaux
- Lauree Anderson
- Cauleen Smith
- Carsten Höller
- Kader Attia
- Alfredo Jaar
- Wanda Coleman
- Adriano Pedrosa
- James Baldwin
- Toni Morrison
- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
- Elena Chatelain
- Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons
- Kamaal Malak
- Wangechi Mutu
- Guadalupe Rosales
- Vera Tamari
Institutions
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Wolff Architects
- NuNu Design
- Laboratoire Agit'Art
- Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute
- Denniston Hill
- Juliet Art Magazine
- Maxxi
- Venice Biennale
- Glasstire
- RAW Material Company
- Young Seminole Hunters
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Giardini
- Arsenale
- Dakar
- Senegal
- Cape Town
- South Africa
- Lebu
- South Carolina
- United States
- Gaza
- Nairobi
- Kenya
- Catskill
- Los Angeles
- Rome
- Tripoli
- Jamaica
- Congo
- Peru
- Myanmar
- Gulf
- Galaxy
- New Orleans
- Palestine
- West Bank
- Mount Kenya
- Nashville
- Lebanon
- Australia