In a groundbreaking decision, the Venice Biennale has appointed Swiss-Cameroonian curator Koyo Kouoh as the artistic director of its 61st International Art Exhibition, set to run from April to November 2026.
Kouoh, 56, becomes the first African woman to curate the world’s oldest and most prestigious contemporary art festival, marking a pivotal moment in the Biennale’s 129-year history.
The appointment was announced earlier this week, sparking widespread interest across the global art community. The Biennale has long been seen as a barometer of cultural trends, and Kouoh’s selection reflects a commitment to diversifying its narrative.
Born in Cameroon in 1967, Kouoh pursued her education in Zurich, Switzerland, where she cultivated a cosmopolitan outlook that has shaped her curatorial vision. Over the years, she has built a formidable career championing contemporary art from Africa and the diaspora. Since 2019, she has served as the executive director and chief curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) in Cape Town, South Africa—the continent’s largest repository of contemporary art.
Before joining MOCAA, Kouoh founded Raw Material Company in Dakar, Senegal, an influential art center dedicated to supporting emerging artists and fostering critical discourse. Her curatorial projects often explore themes of identity, migration, and the legacy of colonialism, reflecting her self-described commitment to “fundamental pan-Africanism.”
Following a Trailblazer’s Footsteps
Kouoh’s appointment follows in the footsteps of the late Okwui Enwezor, who in 2015 became the first African-born curator of the Venice Biennale. Enwezor, a Nigerian art critic and curator, left an indelible mark on the Biennale by challenging eurocentrism and amplifying voices from the global South. Kouoh’s role as his successor underscores the Biennale’s ongoing effort to embrace a broader, more inclusive cultural perspective.
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