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Time Out
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Zeitz MOCAA honours late chief curator Koyo Kouoh
The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) in Cape Town will close its doors on Thursday to honour the life and legacy of its Executive Director and Chief Curator, Koyo Kouoh, who passed away unexpectedly on 10 May in Switzerland. Kouoh was a towering figure in contemporary art and known as a visionary, cultural leader and a fierce advocate for African and Afro-diasporic artistic expression. Appointed in 2019, she led Zeitz MOCAA through a transformative period, redefining the museum's curatorial voice and positioning it as a globally recognised platform for contemporary African art. Her sudden passing came just months after she made history as the first African Artistic Director of the Venice Biennale, where she was curating the 61st edition titled 'In Minor Keys', scheduled to open in May 2026. The Biennale has confirmed that Kouoh's vision will still shape the exhibition, to be realised by her core team. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zeitz MOCAA (@zeitzmocaa) In a tribute shared via LinkedIn, David Green, CEO of the V&A Waterfront and Trustee of Zeitz MOCAA, said, 'It has been with shock and a profound sadness that I received news of the sudden passing of Koyo… In getting to know Koyo over the years since her acceptance of the job to lead Zeitz MOCAA, I, in the role of Trustee and Co-Chair of the museum, had come to appreciate a true sense of her love for what art and artists bring to the world. 'She held an intense conviction that elevating African art was her calling and she extended herself to creating spaces and relationships that would make this possible. Her passing is untimely, and I am going to miss her counsel and friendship immensely,' said Green. Tribute Details for Koyo Kouoh Date: Thursday, 29 May 2025 Time: 4 PM (SAST)
The South African
19-05-2025
- The South African
The four most beautiful museums in South Africa
South Africa isn't short on history, art, and culture – and its museums reflect all three in striking form. Whether nestled in nature, steeped in struggle, or brimming with contemporary flair, these four beautiful museums stand out not only for their collections but for the sheer beauty of their spaces. Take a look… Housed in a repurposed grain silo at the V&A Waterfront, Zeitz MOCAA is a work of art in itself. The architectural transformation by Thomas Heatherwick turned an industrial relic into a cathedral of modern African creativity. The honeycombed atrium, sculpted from concrete tubes, is as jaw-dropping as the rotating exhibitions inside. With over 100 galleries dedicated to contemporary African art, this is the continent's most ambitious modern museum. Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town. Image: Wikimedia Commons. The Apartheid Museum tells one of South Africa's hardest stories with haunting clarity. Its design pulls no punches – visitors are literally separated by race upon entry, immediately immersing them in the reality of apartheid. The architecture is stark, with steel bars, raw concrete, and deep shadows reflecting the oppression it documents. But the impact is powerful, the narrative gripping, and the space totally unforgettable. A must-visit. Segregated entrance at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. Image: Wikimedia Commons Set against the backdrop of the Steenberg mountains and surrounded by indigenous gardens, the Norval Foundation is where art and nature meet. This sleek, contemporary and beautiful museum focuses on 20th- and 21st-century South African visual art. Floor-to-ceiling windows, quiet walkways, and outdoor sculptures create a peaceful, meditative atmosphere. Norval Foundation in Cape Town. Image: Wikimedia Commons. Located in the historic Company's Garden, the Iziko South African Museum is a blend of colonial-era architecture and deep natural history. Inside, you'll find everything from massive whale skeletons to ancient fossils. The museum's old-world charm, domed ceilings, and classic columns contrast with the cutting-edge science of its exhibits. Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town. Image: Wikimedia Commons. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Boston Globe
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Koyo Kouoh, prominent art world figure, is dead at 57
The Venice Biennale is arguably the art world's most important event. Staged every two years since 1895, it always includes a large-scale group show, organized by the curator, alongside dozens of national pavilions, organized independently. Advertisement Next year's exhibition is scheduled to run from May 9 through Nov. 22. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up As the curator and executive director of Zeitz MOCAA, one of Africa's largest contemporary art museums, Ms. Kouoh built a global reputation as a torchbearer for artists of color from Africa and elsewhere, although her interests were global in reach. 'I'm an international curator,' she said in December in an interview with the The New York Times. When she arrived at Zeitz MOCAA in 2019, the museum was struggling, run by an interim director, Azu Nwagbogu. Its founding director, Mark Coetzee, had resigned amid allegations that he harassed members of his staff. 'The museum was in crisis when Koyo came on, subsequently compounded by the pandemic' Storm Janse van Renseburg, who was then a senior curator at Zeitz MOCAA, said in a 2023 interview. 'She brought it back to life.' Advertisement Artist Igshaan Adams, who held a residency position at the museum for eight months during Ms. Kouoh's tenure, said she had changed the way the local community felt about Zeitz MOCAA. 'She made me, us, care again about the museum,' he said. It was the first time, Adams said, that he had experienced a real public engagement 'with people who look like me and speak like me.' Ms. Kouoh staged several acclaimed shows, including a Tracey Rose retrospective that last year transferred to the Queens Museum in New York and 'When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting,' a retrospective of work by some 120 Black artists that in February opened at Brussels' Center for Fine Arts, known as Bozar. It will be on view there until Aug. 10. Emily LaBarge, in a review of 'When We See Us' for the Times, wrote that Ms. Kouoh's curatorial approach had a 'sophisticated breadth' that was 'both aesthetic and art historical, painterly and political.' Ms. Kouoh said frequently in interviews that she never expected to become an art world figure. She was born in Cameroon on Dec. 24, 1967, and grew up in Douala, the country's largest city and economic capital, before moving at age 13 to Switzerland, where she eventually studied business administration and banking and worked with migrant women as a social worker. The turning point in her career came in her mid-20s, when she became a mother. 'I couldn't imagine raising a Black boy in Europe,' Ms. Kouoh said in the 2023 interview. In 1995, she moved to Dakar, Senegal, 'to explore new frontiers and spaces,' and after working as an independent curator for several years, she founded Raw Material, an artist residency program that later expanded to include an exhibition space, a library, and an academy that offered a mentoring program for young art professionals. Advertisement 'I thought it was amazing that she was not just a curator but an institution builder,' Oluremi C. Onabanjo, an associate curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art, said in a 2023 interview. 'A global thinker, rooted in Africa.' She added that Ms. Kouoh 'enlivened and expanded a sense of possibility for a generation of African curators across the globe.' While based in Dakar, Ms. Kouoh expanded her reputation as a forceful, visionary voice on the contemporary art scene. She worked on the curatorial teams for Documenta 12 and 13 and curated the educational and artistic program of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, the Irish Contemporary Art Biennale in 2016, and other international exhibitions. Touria El Glaoui, the founding director of 1-54, said in an interview that Ms. Kouoh was 'the most important curator of artists from the African continent,' adding, 'She gave voice to so many talents.' In the 2023 interview, Ms. Kouoh said that she had initially rejected the idea of taking on the directorship of Zeitz MOCAA. But after conversations with Black colleagues, she said, there was 'a feeling that we cannot let this fail. We don't have anything else like this on the continent.' Throughout her career, she pushed to bring African artists to a world that had long either ignored them or typecast them. 'I am part of that generation of African art professionals who have pride and knowledge about the beauty of African culture, which has often been defined by others in so many wrong ways,' she said in the same interview. Advertisement 'I don't believe we need to spend time correcting those narratives,' she added. 'We need to inscribe other perspectives.' According to the Guardian, she leaves her husband, Philippe Mall, her son, Djibril, and by her mother, Agnes, and stepfather, Anton. Ms. Kouoh was a mentor to artists and curators all over the world, 'championing people and ideas that she knew to be important,' said Kate Fowle, the director of the Arts Program for the Hearthland Foundation, an organization supporting democracy and collaboration that was founded by Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg in 2019. Her appointment as the curator of the 2026 Venice Biennale was welcomed by the art community. 'She was remarkably deserving,' said Adrienne Edward, the senior curator and associate director of curatorial programs at the Museum of American Art in New York. She added that it was Ms. Kouoh's 'unique ability to be grounded in a place, in herself, in artists -- her ethical rootedness -- which profoundly and specifically contoured her exhibition making.' Speaking to the Times after the announcement of her appointment, Ms. Kouoh said she wanted to create a show that 'really speaks to our times,' adding that she was an artist-centered curator. 'The artists will define where we go,' she said. This article originally appeared in
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Koyo Kouoh – tribute to a curator who fiercely promoted African art
The sudden death of the Cameroon-born curator Koyo Kouoh, at the age of 57 and at the height of her career, has shaken the art world. Her passing has left a void in the African arts scene, one which extends far beyond the continent. Born in 1967 in Douala, she spent her teenage and early adult years in Zurich, Switzerland before returning to the continent and settling in Senegal. She lived in Cape Town, South Africa from 2019. There she was executive director and chief curator of the Zeitz MOCAA museum. It holds the continent's largest collection of contemporary art. At the time of her death, she was due to become the first African woman to lead the prestigious Venice Biennale, dubbed the 'Olympics of art world'. She described her practice, as a creative manager of art spaces and exhibitions, as being deeply rooted in: A pan-African, feminist, ancestral, activist perspective, but also one that is generous, inclusive and welcoming. Kouoh was unapologetic about her commitment to promoting Africa and Africanness on the global stage. Her decorated career included serving in global roles as curatorial advisor for leading exhibitions and art events. Read more: As a researcher of modern and contemporary arts of Africa, I first met Kouoh in 2015 when she facilitated a curatorial workshop I attended. I would work with her at Zeitz MOCAA, specifically helping research her landmark show, When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting. Beyond these achievements, Kouoh mentored countless artists and art organisers, especially women. She leaves a legacy of building sustainable art institutions, critical curating with care, uplifting artists and cultural workers, and educating through art. In her own words: My motto has always been, You have to set up your own house and build your own home as opposed to trying to get into someone else's castle. One of the lasting legacies Kouoh left is teaching how to build African arts institutions, which help give creatives the chance to be seen and heard, and to make independent decisions free of the demands of funders. The RAW Material Company that she established in Dakar stands as testimony of that. Through the artist residency and exhibition space, she was able to bring many independent and emerging artists, curators and gallerists to Senegal. There she published books on art from the continent, helping nurture and shift the Africa art ecosystem as it began to play an increasingly visible role in global art markets. Her role in reviving the unstable ship that was the Zeitz MOCAA at the time she took over and steering it to becoming one of Africa's leading cultural institutions and a global competitor says a lot about her vision. As she said: I'm a fixer, I like to take complicated institutions and make them sustainable. The exhibitions she led were thoroughly researched and tended to generate critical discourse and public dialogue. When We See Us, for example, comes with an education programme that includes a webinar series. Each exhibition of the show as it tours globally comes with a symposium and a publication with contributions from critical thinkers in the art industry. Even more impressive is how she managed to bring together people from different sectors, including respected academics, cultural workers and captains of industry. Read more: We cannot talk about Kouoh's contributions to art education without mentioning the Zeitz MOCAA & University of the Western Cape Museum Fellowship Programme, geared to grow 'curatorial practice as well as advance scholarship on contemporary art discourse from the continent'. In my tenure, I observed that the museum's Centre for Art Education and its outreach programme were closest to her heart. At Zeitz MOCAA, Kouoh was more drawn to research-based solo exhibitions or select surveys which offered in-depth insights into 'individual practices, with retrospectives and monographs'. In her time at the museum it shone a spotlight on African artists like Senzeni Marasela, Johannes Phokela, Tracey Rose, Mary Evans, Otobong Nkanga and others. Through the museum's ongoing Atelier programme, a studio residency which is open and experimental in nature, audiences gain insights into an artist's practice, process, thinking and intentions. So far, artists like Thania Petersen, Igshaan Adams, Unathi Mkonto and Berni Searle have shared these processes, which normally remain invisible to those who only see the final work. She did all this in just over five years in Cape Town. Kouoh believed in people's potential and saw infinite possibilities in each one of us. This can be seen through the many peers and young talents she mentored and provided space to flourish. The young team of mostly Black female curators she has left in place at Zeitz MOCAA is proof of that. She cared about the welfare of the people around her. Of the need to elevate women, she stated: The importance, or rather the urgency, of focusing on women's voices cannot be highlighted enough. Recently appointed as the next Venice Biennale's artistic director, Kouoh was due to present the exhibition's title and theme in Venice on 20 May. Those who have known her practice, as well as her obsessions and values, keenly anticipated the day, knowing African voices would take centre stage. I hope her team will be allowed to execute her ideas to the end. Kouoh belonged to a pioneering generation of African curators who worked hard for the recognition of African voices and creativity on the global stage. Although that recognition started to be earned in the 1990s, she realised a lot more still needed to be done, which is why she never stopped working, even at the most difficult of times. She shared her vision of building strong independent institutions, encouraging others to do the same. She led in documenting and critically engaging artistic processes, and in producing African knowledge. May her legacy and her spirit live on. As she said: I do believe in life after death, because I come from an ancestral black education where we believe in parallel lives and realities. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Barnabas Ticha Muvhuti, Rice University Read more: Does free schooling give girls a better chance in life? Burundi study shows the poorest benefited most Teachers in South African schools may be slow to report rape of girls: study shows why Zimbabwe's house of stone: the gallery that showcases a famous sculpture tradition Barnabas Ticha Muvhuti receives funding from the Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Endowment in Art History
IOL News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
'We have truly lost the titan of the art world'
Late Zeitz MOCAA Executive Director and Chief Curator Koyo Kouoh. Mehdi Benkler Image: Mehdi Benkler Those who wish to honour and pay their respects to the remarkable legacy, leadership, and dedication of Koyo Kouoh, may do so at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) Scheryn Arena. Cameroonian curator Kouoh, the head of the top contemporary art museum in Africa and first African woman appointed to lead the Venice Biennale, died Saturday, the Zeitz MOCAA confirmed. The museum had closed to the public and suspended all public programming, and reopened on Tuesday. Those who wish to pay their respects to Kouoh, can visit the Zeitz MOCAA's Scheryn Arena on Level 0. Guests can also leave messages of condolence and remembrance in the space. Those unable to visit the museum are welcome to add a message to the digital tributes by visiting the museum's website. 'Our thoughts are with Koyo's family at this time,' Zeitz MOCAA said. Tributes have been pouring in from around the globe, highlighting the impact of Kouoh's life on the art world. Iziko Museums of South Africa said her sudden passing was a profound loss to the cultural heritage and museum sectors, impacting the arts fraternity in Cape Town, Africa, and across the globe. 'Her legacy will continue to inspire and influence the arts community for years to come.' Goodman Gallery said: 'Together with both the South African and global art community we mark the loss of a curatorial leader whose vision shaped global dialogues.' The National Gallery of Zimbabwe said it was with great sadness that they learnt of the sudden death of friend and constant collaborator, Kouoh. 'Koyo's influence and encouraging presence here in Zimbabwe, on the globe, will be a void that will be felt. She worked with the National Gallery of Zimbabwe over the course of the last decade and her contribution to the development of Zimbabwe art is unfathomable. 'We have truly lost the titan of the art world." The Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute (NCAI) said the influential curator shaped contemporary African art and inspired a generation of artists and curators. 'Koyo was a dear friend and steadfast supporter of NCAI from our very beginning, having been present at the first gathering where the idea for NCAI was born. Her unwavering belief in our vision helped transform what was once just a dream into the vibrant community we are today. 'Her visionary work not only left an indelible mark on the African and global art world but charted a path forward for so many who followed in her footsteps. Koyo served as a lodestar in our community - a champion of spirit and imagination who made so much possible for countless artists, curators, and institutions across the global art community.' Cape Times
