The 2026 Venice Biennale's main exhibition, "In Minor Keys," curated by the late Koyo Kouoh, features 111 international artists with strong representation from Africa, the Caribbean, and their diasporas. The show emphasizes calm, centeredness, and self-forgiveness for historically oppressed peoples, setting aside rage and retribution. Kouoh died of liver cancer at age 57 shortly after being named curator, and her team—Rasha Salti, Marie Hélène Pereira, Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Siddhartha Mitter, and Rory Tsapayi—completed the exhibition according to her vision. Highlights include a Mardi Gras costume by Big Chief Demond Melancon and dedicated shrines to artists Issa Samb and Beverly Buchanan.
This exhibition matters because it marks a historic shift in the Venice Biennale's focus, centering voices from the Global South and challenging Eurocentric narratives. Kouoh's posthumous show is a triumph for the historically dispossessed, offering a poignant blend of poetry, ritual, mourning, and beauty. The collaborative completion of her vision by her team underscores the resilience and solidarity within the art world, making this a landmark moment for representation and curatorial practice.