Koyo Kouoh, the celebrated Cameroonian-born curator known for championing African contemporary art, has died unexpectedly at age 57. She passed away in a hospital in Basel, Switzerland, due to cancer, just months after being appointed curator of the 2026 Venice Biennale—making her only the second African-born curator to lead the prestigious exhibition, following Okwui Enwezor in 2015. Kouoh was executive director and chief curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town since 2019, where she organized landmark shows like "When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting" (2022), and founded RAW Material Company in Dakar in 2008, an independent art center now considered a top space in West Africa.
Kouoh's death matters because she was a transformative figure who expanded the global narrative of contemporary art beyond the US and Europe, with a particular focus on African art and artists. Her work at Zeitz MOCAA and RAW Material Company built lasting institutions that promote knowledge and critical artistic practice within Africa. Her passing leaves a significant void in the art world, especially as the Venice Biennale had yet to unveil the theme of her upcoming 2026 edition, which she had been developing since her appointment in December 2024.