Ndayé Kouagou, an artist from Montreuil (1992) based in Paris, presents his first solo exhibition in Italy, "Heaven's truth," at Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia, running until July 26, 2026. The show features his video installation "A coin is a coin" (2022) and is part of the 21st edition of Fotografia Europea 2026, themed "Fantasmi del quotidiano." During the opening, Kouagou performed with poet and actress Salber Lee Williams, composing and deconstructing phrases into the expression "Please Be Yourself." The exhibition will travel to Heidelberger Kunstverein from September 3, and new works co-produced with the institution will appear at the 18th Lyon Biennale (September 19 – December 13, 2026). In an interview, Kouagou discusses his background as a self-taught visual artist and performer, having worked as a motion designer in advertising and as a DJ, and emphasizes writing as his central expressive medium, comparing himself more to a writer than a visual artist.
This article matters because it highlights a rising contemporary artist whose practice bridges performance, video, and text, and whose work is gaining international institutional recognition across Italy, Germany, and France. Kouagou's trajectory from fashion and music into contemporary art reflects broader shifts in how artists from non-traditional backgrounds enter and reshape the art world. The exhibition's inclusion in Fotografia Europea and the upcoming Lyon Biennale signals his growing relevance in the European contemporary art scene, while his focus on language and change addresses universal themes that resonate with diverse audiences.