ROME — Koyo Kouoh, the esteemed curator chosen to lead the 2026 Venice Art Biennale, has passed away at the age of 58, as announced by the institution where she worked in South Africa in an Instagram post on Saturday.
The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, located in Cape Town, South Africa, confirmed her death without specifying the cause. The Biennale expressed its grief and dismay upon learning of her passing, stating it was deeply moved by the news.
Kouoh had the distinction of being the first African woman appointed to direct the prestigious Venice Biennale. Born in Cameroon in 1967, she was selected to curate the 2026 Biennale in December of the previous year. An influential advocate for Pan-Africanism within the art community, she held the position of executive director and chief curator at the Zeitz Museum since 2019.
Chosen in December 2024 by La Biennale’s board of directors, Kouoh approached her role with fervor, intellectual dedication, and vision while working on the 2026 Biennale’s development and concept, according to the Venice arts organization.
The unveiling of the exhibition’s theme and title had been planned for May 20 in Venice.
The Biennale noted that “Her passing leaves an immense void in the world of contemporary art and among the international community of artists, curators, and scholars who had the honor of experiencing her exceptional human and intellectual dedication.”
The Biennale further extended “its deepest sympathies and affection” to the family of Kouoh, as well as her friends and all others who joined her in exploring and contemplating contemporary art.
In an official statement, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni conveyed her “deepest condolences” over Kouoh’s untimely death, emphasizing that it “leaves a void in the world of contemporary art.”