Koyo Kouoh is the new Director of the Visual Arts Sector for the 61st International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 2026. The appointment was announced by the Biennale's board, following a proposal by President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco.
Born in Douala, Cameroon, in 1967, Kouoh lives and works across Cape Town, South Africa, Dakar, Senegal, and Basel, Switzerland. Since 2019, she has been the Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town, where she has led a curatorial vision focused on African and diasporic identities.
Previously, she founded and served as Artistic Director of RAW Material Company in Dakar, a center dedicated to art, knowledge, and society, and was a member of the curatorial teams for Documenta 12 and 13. In 2020, she received the prestigious Grand Prix Meret Oppenheim, an award recognizing excellence in the fields of art, architecture, criticism, and curating.
Koyo Kouoh's appointment as Director of Visual Arts for the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2026 marks a significant historical milestone, as she becomes the first African woman to hold this role.
"Koyo Kouoh's appointment as the Artistic Director of the Visual Arts Sector for the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale is a defining moment in the institution’s history. It signals the arrival of a curator whose vision broadens the horizon, ushering in an era rich with new perspectives and voices. Her work as a curator, scholar, and prominent figure in the public sphere intersects with some of the brightest, boldest, and most innovative intellects. With her leadership, the Biennale reaffirms its century-long legacy of being a beacon of the future" Buttafuoco stated, followed by Kouoh's first remarks post-appointment, which already indicate a strong commitment to social engagement.
"It is an honor and a unique privilege to follow in the footsteps of my esteemed predecessors in the role of Artistic Director and to create an exhibition that I hope will have meaning for the world we live in today, and more importantly, for the world we want to build. Artists are the visionaries and social scientists who allow us to reflect and project in ways that only this profession can" says Kouoh.
Her appointment will undoubtedly mark another key milestone in the history of the Venice Biennale, continuing to recognize art as a powerful engine for social and cultural change, capable of stimulating reflection and action toward a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Opening image: Koyo Kouoh. Photo: Mirjam Kluka