Italian
Venice (Arsenale and Giardini), May 9 – November 22, 2026 (pre-opening May 7, 8, 9)
VENICE (VE): On Tuesday, May 27, the presentation of the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale – In Minor Keys by Koyo Kouoh took place at the Sala delle Colonne di Ca’ Giustinian, the headquarters of the Biennale in San Marco. The exhibition will run from Saturday, May 9 to Sunday, November 22, 2026 (pre-opening on May 7, 8, 9) at the Giardini, the Arsenale, and various locations in Venice.
The revelation of the title and curatorial vision of the 61st Exhibition, initially scheduled for last Tuesday, May 20, 2025, was announced today following the sudden passing of Curator Koyo Kouoh on May 10, 2025, which has stirred deep emotions throughout the art and culture world.
With the full support of Koyo Kouoh’s family, La Biennale di Venezia has decided to realize her Exhibition. It will do so according to the project as conceived and defined by her, also to preserve, enhance, and disseminate her ideas and the work carried out with dedication until the end.
On October 17, 2024, Koyo Kouoh made herself fully available to the President of the Venice Biennale, Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, to take on the role of Artistic Director of the Visual Arts Department, with the task of overseeing the 61st International Art Exhibition. On November 5, 2024, the Board of Directors of the Venice Biennale appointed her as Director of the Visual Arts Department, entrusting her with the curation of the 61st Exhibition. Following institutional practice, the press announcement was made on December 3, 2024, at the conclusion of the 60th International Art Exhibition, curated by Adriano Pedrosa.
Between mid-October 2024 and early May 2025, Koyo Kouoh worked intensively on the development of the curatorial project, defining its theoretical text, selecting artists and works, identifying the authors of the catalog, determining the graphic identity of the exhibition, and the architecture of the exhibition spaces, and engaging in dialogue with the artists invited to participate.In Minor Keys is the title chosen by Koyo Kouoh for the 61st International Art Exhibition, as indicated in the curatorial text transmitted to the President of the Biennale on April 8, 2025. On that occasion, she wrote:
“In October 2024, I was honored to be appointed as the curator of the 61st edition of the Art Biennale. It is with pleasure that I share today with you and your team the philosophical framework that will guide my curation of the exhibition.”
The 61st Exhibition will be curated by the Venice Biennale, with the contribution of selected professional figures directly involved by Koyo Kouoh. The team includes advisors Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Helene Pereira, and Rasha Salti; the editor-in-chief Siddhartha Mitter; and the assistant Rory Tsapayi.
All project details — including the list of invited artists to the International Exhibition, the graphic identity, the set-up project, and the list of participating countries in the 61st Exhibition — will be revealed during the usual presentation to be held in Venice on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
The Venice Biennale also announces the start of a new collaboration with Bvlgari, which starting from the 61st edition will be the Exclusive Partner of the International Art Exhibition for three consecutive editions (2026, 2028, 2030).
Founded in Rome in 1884, the High Jewelry Maison thus renews its commitment to supporting contemporary art, creative expression, and dialogue among diverse cultures, emphasizing the value of art as a universal language.
