The 2026 Venice Art Biennale will proceed exactly as planned by its curator, Koyo Kouoh, who died earlier this month at age 57. Titled "In Minor Keys," the edition is scheduled to open on May 9, 2026. At a press conference in Venice, Biennale press head Maria Cristiana Costanzo confirmed that Kouoh had intensively developed the curatorial concept, selected artists and works, and defined the exhibition's theoretical framework, graphic identity, and spatial design before her death. Her core team will complete the show in strict accordance with her plan, with full support from her family. Collaborators read texts she prepared and displayed images she selected during the presentation.
This matters because Kouoh was a celebrated champion of Black artists from Africa and the diaspora, and she would have been the first African woman to curate the Venice Biennale. Her death prompted widespread tributes across the art world. The Biennale's decision to honor her original vision underscores the significance of her curatorial voice and ensures that "In Minor Keys"—described as a radical connection with art's role in society—will be realized as she intended, preserving her legacy at one of the world's most prestigious art events.