Koyo Kouoh, First African Woman to Lead Venice Biennale, Dies at 58
Koyo Kouoh, one of the most influential figures in contemporary African art and the curator of the upcoming 2026 Venice Biennale, has died at the age of 58. The announcement was made by the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town, where she served as Executive Director and Chief Curator since 2019. Her sudden death in Basel, Switzerland, where she was receiving treatment for recently diagnosed cancer, comes just days before she was scheduled to unveil the theme and title for the 2026 Biennale Arte on May 20 in Venice.
The art world is mourning the unexpected loss of a trailblazing Pan-African curator, an institution builder, and a champion of Black and African artists on the global stage. Tributes have poured in from international art institutions, world leaders, and cultural thinkers who recognize Kouoh’s monumental impact on the cultural landscape.
“Her passing leaves an immense void in the world of contemporary art,” wrote La Biennale di Venezia in a statement, acknowledging her “passion, intellectual rigor, and vision.”
A Career Defined by Vision, Courage, and Commitment to African Art
Born in 1967 in Douala, Cameroon, and raised between Cameroon and Switzerland, Kouoh’s life bridged multiple cultural worlds. In the mid-1990s, she returned to Africa, driven by a desire to build new, independent platforms for artistic expression. This mission culminated in the founding of RAW Material Company in Dakar, Senegal—a vibrant independent art hub and think tank that shaped a generation of artists and curators in West Africa.
Her curatorial philosophy was unapologetically Pan-African and deeply rooted in postcolonial discourse, cultural identity, and global solidarity.
“Africa is, for me, an idea that goes beyond borders. It’s a history that goes beyond borders,” she told AFP in a 2023 interview.
Kouoh’s curatorial work included major contributions to Documenta 12 and 13 and internationally touring exhibitions. She was known not only for spotlighting established names but for nurturing emerging African artists and amplifying marginalized narratives in global art institutions.
Leadership at Zeitz MOCAA: From Crisis to Cultural Renaissance
In 2019, Kouoh took over leadership at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, one of the largest contemporary art museums on the continent. She stepped in during a leadership vacuum and institutional crisis following the resignation of founding director Mark Coetzee amid harassment allegations.
“For me, it became a duty to salvage this institution,” Kouoh said on The Art World: What If…?! podcast. “Its failure would’ve been the failure of all of us African art professionals.”
Under her leadership, Zeitz MOCAA not only stabilized but flourished. She oversaw a revitalization of the museum’s vision, expanded its programming, and significantly elevated its global profile.
Among her most celebrated projects was the landmark exhibition “When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting,” which opened in 2022 and traveled internationally. Featuring works by over 120 Black artists, the exhibition is currently on display at Bozar, Brussels, and explores the evolution of Black identity and self-representation in art over the last century.
“This show does not only exist in relation to oppression or otherness, but also on its own expansive, frequently gorgeous terms,” wrote critic Emily LaBarge in The New York Times.
Venice Biennale 2026: A Groundbreaking Appointment and Unfinished Legacy
In December 2024, Kouoh was named Artistic Director of the 60th Venice Art Biennale, making history as the first African woman and only the second African after Okwui Enwezor to be appointed to lead the world’s oldest and most prestigious international art exhibition.
Kouoh had already been working intensely on shaping the curatorial framework for the 2026 edition, which promised to introduce a radically inclusive, decolonial perspective to the Biennale’s Eurocentric tradition. Her untimely passing halted the announcement of the exhibition’s title and theme, which had been set for May 20, 2025 in Venice.
La Biennale wrote: “Her passing leaves an immense void… among artists, curators, and scholars who had the privilege of knowing and admiring her extraordinary human and intellectual commitment.”
A Personal Life of Strength and Spiritual Grounding
Beyond her professional life, Kouoh was a mother and partner. She gave birth to her son in Switzerland in the 1990s and later adopted three children. In interviews, she frequently spoke about how motherhood and spirituality influenced her worldview.
“I do believe in life after death,” she said in her final interview with the Financial Times. “I believe in energies—living or dead—and in cosmic strength.”
Her deep connection to Dakar endured throughout her career. Though based in Cape Town, she said:
“Mentally, I live in Dakar. It’s the one and only place for me.”
A Global Cultural Icon Remembered
Kouoh’s death was met with tributes across the globe. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and numerous global cultural institutions expressed condolences, recognizing her as an intellectual powerhouse, a visionary leader, and a transformative figure in global art discourse.
“She brought the most refined, young, and disruptive intelligences to the Biennale,” said Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco.
According to her husband Philippe Mall, Kouoh had been diagnosed with cancer only recently. She is survived by her son Djibril Schmed, mother Agnes Steidl, and stepfather Anton Steidl.
Image Courtesy – ArtNews
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