In early December, the Biennale announced that Koyo Kouoh would be entrusted with organizing the 61st edition of the artistic event, scheduled for 2026.
“Her death leaves a significant void in the world of contemporary art and the international community of artists, curators, and specialists who appreciated her extraordinary intellectual and human commitment,” the Biennale stated.
Koyo Kouoh was particularly renowned for her exhibitions on feminism and her focus on Africa.
The Venice Biennale declared five months ago that her appointment was intended to signify “the acknowledgment of a broader horizon and the emergence of a generous day of new words and perspectives.”
Born in 1967 in Cameroon and raised in Switzerland, Kouoh was a renowned artist on both the African and international scenes, with numerous publications and exhibitions in major cities and museums worldwide.
Since 2019, she served as the executive director of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art in Cape Town, South Africa, and in 2020, she received the ‘Meret Oppengeim’ Grand Prix organized by Switzerland.
The Venice Biennale is one of the most important artistic events and is divided into sectors: in 2025, its focus will be Architecture, directed by Italian engineer Carlo Ratti, and in 2026, it will be dedicated to Art.
