Koyo Kouoh, curator of the upcoming Venice Biennale, dies suddenly at the age of 57.

«The Venice Biennale is deeply saddened and dismayed to learn of the sudden and untimely passing of Koyo Kouoh , curator of the 61st International Art Exhibition, scheduled to open on 9 May 2026. Appointed in December 2024 by the Biennale’s Board of Directors, Koyo Kouoh worked with passion, intellectual rigor, and vision in the conception and development of the Arte 2026 Biennale. The presentation of the exhibition title and theme was due to take place in Venice on 20 May. Her passing leaves an immense void in the world of contemporary art and in the international community of artists, curators, and scholars who had the privilege of knowing and admiring her extraordinary human and intellectual commitment. The Venice Biennale expresses its deepest condolences and affection to her family, her friends, and all those who shared with her a journey of research and critical reflection on contemporary art.» This is stated in a statement from the event's organizers, published on Saturday.

Koyo Kouoh (Cameroon, 1967–Switzerland, 2025) studied in Zurich, where her family moved when she was thirteen. Her parents encouraged her to study economics. She worked for a time in banking before entering the cultural field, initially focusing on literature and film. In 1996, she settled in Dakar . She began her career as an art curator in 1998, coordinating the cultural program of the Gorée Institute until 2002. In 2003, she collaborated on the Dakar Biennale. In 2008, she created the RAW Material Company, an art center, exhibition venue, and discussion space in that city.

She curated the Contemporary African Art Fair in London , Documenta 12 in 2007, and Documenta 13 in 2012. In 2010, she worked in Brussels as co-curator of the exhibition 'Géo-graphics'. She was also associate curator of SUD (Salon Urbain de Douala), an art festival in Cameroon. In February 2014, she was commissioned by the Senegalese Ministry of Culture and the European Union to carry out a profound renovation of the Dakar Biennale . Specializing in photography, video and art in public spaces, she has organized numerous international exhibitions.

In March 2019, she was appointed Director General and Chief Curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, known as Zeitz Mocaa , in South Africa, replacing Nigerian artist Azu Nwagbogu, who took over the position on an interim basis. In 2020 , she was awarded the Grand Prix Meret Oppenheim . In December 2024, she was appointed to lead the Venice Biennale in 2026, at the proposal of the Biennale's president, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco.