Koyo Kouoh, the groundbreaking Swiss-Cameroonian curator who was to become the first African woman to head up the Venice Biennale, died suddenly on Saturday, the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa announced. Kouoh, 57, had been put in charge of the 61st edition of the Biennale Arte, which will take place in Venice from April to November 2026. In a statement, the management of the Venice Biennale said they were “deeply saddened and dismayed to learn of the sudden and untimely passing of Koyo Kouoh”. They said Kouoh had “worked with passion, intellectual rigour and vision on the conception and development of the Biennale Arte 2026”. Zeitz MOCAA said it had closed its doors and suspended all programming until further notice.

Source: The Guardian May 12, 2025 18:22 UTC