The 61st Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys" and curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, opens in May 2026, shifting focus from Eurocentric narratives to quieter, relational, and improvisational voices from the Global South. ArtAsiaPacific's May/June issue honors Kouoh's vision with features on artists including Gala Porras-Kim (a 2025 MacArthur Fellow), Khaled Sabsabi (representing Australia), and others like Liang Yuanwei, Yuko Mohri, Mona Hatoum, Tadanori Yokoo, Gayane Umerova, Li Yi-Fan, Hyeree Ro, and Ei Arakawa-Nash, with contributions from a curatorial team that carried Kouoh's work forward after her death in 2025.
This issue matters because it documents a historic moment for the Venice Biennale—the first led by an African-born woman—and highlights how the exhibition's theme of listening to minor keys challenges dominant art-historical narratives. By profiling artists who engage with decolonization, migration, heritage, and care, the article underscores a broader shift in the art world toward inclusivity, emotional attunement, and the revaluation of marginalized perspectives.