Koyo Kouoh, the acclaimed Cameroonian-born curator and director of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town, has died at age 57 after a battle with cancer. Tributes pour in from artists Robin Rhode and Julie Mehretu, curator Azu Nwagbogu, and colleagues like Mandla Sibeko, who mourn the loss of a towering figure in African and global contemporary art. Kouoh was also set to serve as artistic director of the 2026 Venice Biennale, making her the first African woman to hold that role.
Kouoh's death creates an unfillable void in the art world, as she was one of the most significant curators of her generation and a relentless advocate for African artists and institutions. Her leadership at RAW Material Company in Dakar and Zeitz MOCAA helped build decentralized spaces for self-expression and Pan-African dialogue. Her passing follows the deaths of fellow African curators Bisi Silva and Okwui Enwezor, marking a devastating loss for the continent's cultural landscape.