Venice Biennale Artists Navigate Koyo Kouoh's Posthumous Vision

The 2026 Venice Biennale, titled 'In Minor Keys', is being realized after the death of curator Koyo Kouoh in May 2025. The Cameroonian-Swiss curator had selected artists and developed a theoretical framework before her passing. Artists like Godfried Donkor, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, and Walid Raad interpret the theme as a call for nuance, slowness, and resistance to dominant narratives. Donkor's painting 'Michael and the Dragon II' references the slave trade and African diaspora. Campos-Pons collaborates with musician Kamaal Malak. The exhibition includes 110 participants, with works by Mohammed Joha, Carsten Höller, Demond Melancon, Tammy Nguyen, and others. Some artists express concerns about the exhibition's ambiguity, while others see it as a rejection of Western hierarchies. The Biennale runs from May 9 to November 22.