The 2026 Venice Biennale's main exhibition opens this week, curated by Koyo Kouoh—the first African woman to hold the role—who was announced in 2024 but passed away suddenly in 2025. The article highlights six artworks that define her curatorial vision, which connected the international art world to artists and institutions from Africa and the Global South.
This edition of the Biennale carries unusual emotional and historical weight due to Kouoh's untimely death, making her curatorial statement a posthumous testament. Her focus on underrepresented regions and artists marks a significant shift in the art world's most prestigious exhibition, reinforcing the Biennale's role as a platform for global dialogue and inclusion.