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Venice Biennale Names Koyo Kouoh First African Female Curator
The Venice Biennale has appointed Koyo Kouoh, a Cameroonian curator, as its first African female curator A. Kouoh, who currently heads the Zeitz Museum of…
Words by
James Melbin
Published
Fri, 6 December 2024
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1 minutes
The Venice Biennale has appointed Koyo Kouoh, a Cameroonian curator, as its first African female curator A. Kouoh, who currently heads the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town, will curate the 61st edition of the prestigious art exhibition, scheduled for 2026.
Kouoh, who was born in Cameroon and raised in Switzerland, has been a prominent figure in the contemporary art world B. She founded the RAW Material Company in Dakar, Senegal, and has A curated major exhibitions, including Documenta 12 and 13. Her appointment follows the legacy of the late Nigerian art critic Okwui Enwezor, who was the first African to lead the Biennale in 2015.
Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco praised Kouoh as a “curator, scholar, and influential public figure” who will bring “the most refined, young, and disruptive intelligences” to the exhibition. Kouoh herself described the appointment as a “once-in-a-lifetime honor” and expressed her hope that her show will “carry meaning for the world we currently live in—and most importantly, for the world we want to make”.
Kouoh’s vision for the Biennale is expected to highlight the rich and diverse artistic traditions of Africa and its diaspora, reflecting her commitment to Pan-Africanism. She has previously emphasized that “Africa is for me an idea that goes beyond borders. It’s a history that goes beyond borders”.
The Venice Biennale, which draws hundreds of thousands of art lovers to the Italian city every two years, is set to be a transformative experience under Kouoh’s leadership.
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Words by
James Melbin
James Melbin is a Cultural Manager, Art Critic, Anthologist/Curator, Creative Director, and Publisher with special interests in the arts, creative industries, classical and contemporary culture, and sustainability.
The Venice Biennale has appointed Koyo Kouoh, a Cameroonian curator, as its first African female curator A. Kouoh, who currently heads the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town, will curate the 61st edition of the prestigious art exhibition, scheduled for 2026.
Kouoh, who was born in Cameroon and raised in Switzerland, has been a prominent figure in the contemporary art world B. She founded the RAW Material Company in Dakar, Senegal, and has A curated major exhibitions, including Documenta 12 and 13. Her appointment follows the legacy of the late Nigerian art critic Okwui Enwezor, who was the first African to lead the Biennale in 2015.
Biennale president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco praised Kouoh as a “curator, scholar, and influential public figure” who will bring “the most refined, young, and disruptive intelligences” to the exhibition. Kouoh herself described the appointment as a “once-in-a-lifetime honor” and expressed her hope that her show will “carry meaning for the world we currently live in—and most importantly, for the world we want to make”.
Kouoh’s vision for the Biennale is expected to highlight the rich and diverse artistic traditions of Africa and its diaspora, reflecting her commitment to Pan-Africanism. She has previously emphasized that “Africa is for me an idea that goes beyond borders. It’s a history that goes beyond borders”.
The Venice Biennale, which draws hundreds of thousands of art lovers to the Italian city every two years, is set to be a transformative experience under Kouoh’s leadership.
Start the conversation
Click any paragraph above to leave a comment.