Venice Biennale 2026 Announces 111 Artists for 'In Minor Keys' Exhibition Curated by Late Koyo Kouoh
The main exhibition of the 61st Venice Biennale, titled 'In Minor Keys,' will showcase 111 participants, comprising 105 artists and six artist-led organizations. Curated by Koyo Kouoh, who sadly passed away in May 2025, the event is scheduled from May 9 to November 22, 2026. Kouoh's team revealed the participant list on February 25. The exhibition focuses on global themes, organized around concepts such as shrines and processions, and will take place in the Giardini's Central Pavilion, the Arsenale, and additional venues. Notably, Khaled Sabsabi will represent Australia in a dual capacity, a first for an Australian artist. Announcements regarding national pavilions will occur on March 4, alongside a special project featuring Gala Porras-Kim in partnership with the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Key facts
- The 61st Venice Biennale's main exhibition 'In Minor Keys' features 111 participants.
- Curator Koyo Kouoh passed away in May 2025 before the exhibition's opening.
- The exhibition runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026.
- Khaled Sabsabi will represent Australia in its national pavilion and appear in the main exhibition.
- The exhibition is structured around conceptual motifs like shrines, processions, and schools.
- National participations and collateral events will be announced on March 4.
- The Applied Arts Pavilion is a collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
- The participant list includes artist-led organizations like blaxTARLINES KUMASI and RAW Material Company.
Entities
Artists
- Pio Abad
- Philip Aguirre y Otegui
- Akinbode Akinbiyi
- Laurie Anderson
- Fabrice Aragno
- Nancy Brooks Brody
- Joy Episalla
- Zoe Leonard
- Carrie Yamaoka
- Jo-ey Tang
- Kader Attia
- Sammy Baloji
- Ranti Bam
- Alvaro Barrington
- Éric Baudelaire
- Sabian Baumann
- Beverly Buchanan
- Seyni Awa Camara
- Nick Cave
- Carolina Caycedo
- Annalee Davis
- BuBu de la Madeleine
- Dawn DeDeaux
- Nolan Oswald Dennis
- Bonnie Devine
- Godfried Donkor
- Marcel Duchamp
- Edouard Duval-Carrié
- Torkwase Dyson
- rana elnemr
- Theo Eshetu
- Rachel Fallon
- Alice Maher
- Sofía Gallisá Muriente
- Adebunmi Gbadebo
- Leonilda González
- Linda Goode Bryant
- Joana Hadjithomas
- Khalil Joreige
- Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka
- Ayrson Heráclito
- Clarissa Herbst
- Dominique Rust
- Nicholas Hlobo
- Carsten Höller
- Sohrab Hura
- Alfredo Jaar
- Mohammed Joha
- Michael Joo
- Nina Katchadourian
- Bodys Isek Kingelez
- Sandra Knecht
- Marcia Kure
- Natalia Lassalle-Morillo
- Gloria Morillo
- Florence Lazar
- Dan Lie
- Werewere Liking
- Daniel Lind-Ramos
- Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons
- Kamaal Malak
- Senzeni Marasela
- Guadalupe Maravilla
- Manuel Mathieu
- Georgina Maxim
- Tiona Nekkia McClodden
- Big Chief Demond Melancon
- Avi Mograbi
- Wangechi Mutu
- Eustaquio Neves
- Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn
- Tammy Nguyen
- Otobong Nkanga
- Kaloki Nyamai
- Temitayo Ogunbiyi
- Pauline Oliveros
- Kambui Olujimi
- Hagar Ophir
- Uriel Orlow
- Ebony G. Patterson
- Rajni Perera
- Marigold Santos
- Thania Petersen
- Alan Phelan
- Johannes Phokela
- Léonard Pongo
- Walid Raad
- Mohammed Z. Rahman
- Tabita Rezaire
- Guadalupe Rosales
- Yo-E Ryou
- Khaled Sabsabi
- Rose Salane
- Issa Samb
- Amina Saoudi Aït Khay
- Carrie Schneider
- Hala Schoukair
- Berni Searle
- Mmakgabo Mmapula Helen Sebidi
- Wardha Shabbir
- Yoshiko Shimada
- Himali Singh Soin
- David Soin Tappeser
- Buhlebezwe Siwani
- Cauleen Smith
- Vera Tamari
- Tsai Ming-liang
- Victoria-Idongesit Udondian
- Celia Vásquez Yui
- Kemang Wa Lehulere
- Kennedy Yanko
- Raed Yassin
- Sawangwongse Yawnghwe
- Billie Zangewa
- Gala Porras-Kim
- Koyo Kouoh
- Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo
- Marie Hélène Pereira
- Rasha Salti
- Siddhartha Mitter
- Rory Tsapayi
- Michael Dagostino
- Chiara Camoni
- Giorgio Celiberti Jr.
- Omar Galliani
- Maurizio Cervellati
- Andrea Rossi Andrea
- Toni Zancaro
- John Ravenal
- Robert Lazzarini
- Alma Allen
- Jeffrey Usli
Institutions
- Venice Biennale
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Creative Australia
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- ArtAsiaPacific
- fierce pussy
- blaxTARLINES KUMASI
- Denniston Hill
- G.A.S. Foundation
- lugar a dudas
- Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute (NCAI)
- RAW Material Company
- Wolff Architects
- U.S. Department of State
- National Endowment for the Arts
- Anga - Art Not Genocide Alliance
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Sydney
- Australia
- London
- United Kingdom
- Giardini
- Arsenale
- Dakar
- Salvador
- San Juan
- Beirut
- Paris
- Nashville
- Republic of Guinea
- Equatorial Guinea
- Nauru
- Qatar
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Vietnam
- Mestre
- Forte Marghera
- Russia
- Ukraine
- Israel
- Palestine
- United States
- Africa