Latest news with #VeniceArtBiennale
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Venice Art Biennale to honour late curator Koyo Kouoh with 2026 exhibition ‘In Minor Keys'
The curatorial vision for the 61st Venice Biennale, 'In Minor Keys', was revealed in Venice today in an emotional presentation at the Sala delle Colonne of Ca' Giustinian, the Biennale's historic headquarters. Originally set for announcement later this year, the theme was unveiled ahead of schedule following the sad and unexpected death of the exhibition's curator, Koyo Kouoh, on 10 May. A leading figure in promoting Pan-Africanism throughout the art world, Kouoh had served as executive director and chief curator at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, South Africa since 2019. She earned global acclaim for curating the 2022 exhibition When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting, a monumental historical show inspired by Ava DuVernay's Netflix miniseries When They See Us, and became the first African woman invited to lead the Venice Art Biennale in December 2024. Related Koyo Kouoh, 2026 Venice Art Biennale curator, dies suddenly aged 58 Bahrain wins top prize at Venice Architecture Biennale with a pavilion tackling extreme heat With the support of Kouoh's family, La Biennale di Venezia confirmed it will proceed with the 2026 exhibition exactly as she conceived it, in what will now be a posthumous tribute to her life's work. As they noted, the edition will explore the spaces in which minor keys operate, to conceive "an exhibition that invites listening to the persistent signals of earth and life, connecting to soul frequencies. If in music, the minor keys are often associated with strangeness, melancholy, and sorrow, here their joy, solace, hope, and transcendence manifest as well." Scheduled to run from 9 May to 22 November 2026, 'In Minor Keys' will take place across the Giardini, the Arsenale, and various venues throughout Venice. The full list of participating artists, the exhibition's visual identity, and national pavilions will be officially announced at a press conference on 25 February 2026.
Bloomberg
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Ahead of a Major Show, Artist Jeffrey Gibson Reflects on His Meteoric Rise
The Venice Art Bienniale is not known for its crowds—the city is simply too big, and the dozens of exhibitions are too spread out to ever result in a critical mass. And yet last year, during the 60th edition's opening day, a sea of people jostling and craning and taking photos had gathered outside the US Pavilion. There, the artist Jeffrey Gibson had covered the building's staid, Palladian facade with bright red panels and equally vivid geometric designs. In the building's courtyard, standing on and alongside a multitiered platform that Gibson designed, a team of 26 Native American Jingle Dancers moved in unison, the metal cones on their traditional, brightly colored regalia tinkling in rhythm. As the performance ended, Gibson took the stage to applause and cheers.
The Star
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Koyo Kouoh, 2026 Venice Art Biennale curator, dies suddenly at age 58
Koyo Kouoh, the head of the biggest contemporary art museum in Africa and who would have been the first African woman to lead the Venice Biennale, died on May 10, the Zeitz MOCAA museum said. Photo: AFP Koyo Kouoh, the curator of the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, has died at age 58, her home institution in South Africa said in an Instagram post on Saturday. The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town in South Africa confirmed her passing overnight but gave no cause of death. The Biennale said on Saturday it was "deeply saddened and dismayed' to learn of her death. Kouoh was the first African woman tapped to helm the Venice Biennale. Born in Cameroon in 1967, she was tapped to curate the 2026 edition of the Biennale in December. A leading figure in promoting Pan-Africanism throughout the art world, Kouoh had been executive director and chief curator at Zeitz since 2019. Appointed in December 2024 by the board of directors of La Biennale, Kouoh worked "with passion, intellectual rigor and vision on the conception and development of the Biennale Arte 2026,' the Venice arts institution said. The presentation of the exhibition's title and theme was due to take place in Venice on May 20. "Her passing leaves an immense void in the world of contemporary art and in the international community of artists, curators, and scholars who had the privilege of knowing and admiring her extraordinary human and intellectual commitment,' the Biennale said. It extended "its deepest sympathies and affection' to Kouoh's family and friends, and "all those who shared with her a journey of research and critical thought on contemporary art.' In a statement, Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni on Saturday expressed her "deepest condolences' for Kouoh's "premature and sudden passing,' noting it "leaves a void in the world of contemporary art.' - AP
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Koyo Kouoh, 2026 Venice Art Biennale curator, dies suddenly aged 58
Koyo Kouoh, the curator of the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, has died at age 58, her home institution in South Africa said in an Instagram post Saturday. The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town in South Africa confirmed the news overnight but gave no cause. The Biennale said it was "deeply saddened and dismayed" to learn of her death. Kouoh was the first African woman asked to helm the Venice Art Biennale. Born in Cameroon in 1967, she was invited to curate the 2026 edition of the Biennale in December. A leading figure in promoting Pan-Africanism throughout the art world, Kouoh had been executive director and chief curator at Zeitz since 2019. Appointed in December 2024 by the board of directors of La Biennale, Kouoh worked "with passion, intellectual rigor and vision on the conception and development of the Biennale Arte 2026," the Venice arts institution said. The presentation of the exhibition's title and theme was due to take place in Venice on May 20. Kouoh also increased her reputation by curating the pioneering 2022 exhibition "When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting." The show's title was inspired by the 2019 Netflix miniseries When They See Us by African-American director Ava DuVernay, which focuses on how Black youth are seen as potential criminals and thus as a threat. Related "When We See Us": Swiss museum showcases 100 years of Black figurative painting "Her passing leaves an immense void in the world of contemporary art and in the international community of artists, curators, and scholars who had the privilege of knowing and admiring her extraordinary human and intellectual commitment," the Biennale said. It extended "its deepest sympathies and affection" to Kouoh's family and friends, and "all those who shared with her a journey of research and critical thought on contemporary art." In a statement, Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed her "deepest condolences" for Kouoh's "premature and sudden passing," noting it "leaves a void in the world of contemporary art."
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Koyo Kouoh, 2026 Venice Art Biennale curator, dies suddenly aged 58
Koyo Kouoh, the curator of the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, has died at age 58, her home institution in South Africa said in an Instagram post Saturday. The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town in South Africa confirmed the news overnight but gave no cause. The Biennale said it was "deeply saddened and dismayed" to learn of her death. Kouoh was the first African woman asked to helm the Venice Art Biennale. Born in Cameroon in 1967, she was invited to curate the 2026 edition of the Biennale in December. A leading figure in promoting Pan-Africanism throughout the art world, Kouoh had been executive director and chief curator at Zeitz since 2019. Appointed in December 2024 by the board of directors of La Biennale, Kouoh worked "with passion, intellectual rigor and vision on the conception and development of the Biennale Arte 2026," the Venice arts institution said. The presentation of the exhibition's title and theme was due to take place in Venice on May 20. Kouoh also increased her reputation by curating the pioneering 2022 exhibition "When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting." The show's title was inspired by the 2019 Netflix miniseries When They See Us by African-American director Ava DuVernay, which focuses on how Black youth are seen as potential criminals and thus as a threat. Related "When We See Us": Swiss museum showcases 100 years of Black figurative painting "Her passing leaves an immense void in the world of contemporary art and in the international community of artists, curators, and scholars who had the privilege of knowing and admiring her extraordinary human and intellectual commitment," the Biennale said. It extended "its deepest sympathies and affection" to Kouoh's family and friends, and "all those who shared with her a journey of research and critical thought on contemporary art." In a statement, Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed her "deepest condolences" for Kouoh's "premature and sudden passing," noting it "leaves a void in the world of contemporary art."
