Venice Biennale 2026 Opens Amid Curator's Death and Prize Jury Resignation

The 61st Venice Biennale opens on Saturday amid major controversies. Curator Koyo Kouoh died at age 57 shortly after a terminal liver cancer diagnosis, leaving her team to execute her vision for the exhibition titled "In Minor Keys." The five-member prize jury resigned after backlash over excluding artists from countries under ICC investigation and after the Israeli artist threatened legal action. Popularity awards voted by visitors will replace the official prize. The Biennale Foundation faces scrutiny from the Italian government and EU for allowing Russia's participation. Kouoh, born in Cameroon and raised in Switzerland, was the first African woman to curate the Biennale. Her statement said the show would not be "a litany of commentary on world events" but would engage with politics. Nearly 100 countries are represented.