The 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale will be held at the Giardini, the Arsenale, and in various locations around Venice, from May 5 to November 22, 2026, despite the sudden passing of the curator Koyo Kouoh on May 10, 2025, which was met with profound sorrow across the entire world of art and culture.

With the full support of Koyo Kouoh’s family, La Biennale di Venezia decided to carry out her exhibition. It will do so by following the project just as she conceived and defined it, with the further purpose of preserving, enhancing, and widely disseminating her ideas and the work she pursued with such dedication to the very end.

Koyo Kouoh worked intensively to develop the curatorial project, defining its theoretical framework, selecting the artists and the artworks, designating the authors of the catalogue, determining the graphic identity of the exhibition and the architecture of the exhibition spaces, and establishing a dialogue with the artists invited to participate.

In Minor Keys is the title chosen by Koyo Kouoh for the 61st International Art Exhibition, as specified in the curatorial text. “In October 2024, I was greatly honoured to be appointed curator of the 61st edition of Biennale Arte. It is with pleasure that I share today with you and your team the philosophical framework that will guide my curatorship of the exhibition”.

The 61st Exhibition will be produced by La Biennale di Venezia, with the contribution of the professionals selected and directly involved by Koyo Kouoh. The team consists of the advisors Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, Marie Helene Pereira, and Rasha Salti; the editor-in-chief Siddhartha Mitter; and the assistant Rory Tsapayi.

All the details of the project, including the list of artists invited to the International Exhibition, the graphic identity, the exhibition design, and the list of Participating Countries in the 61st Exhibition, will be announced at the customary presentation to be held in Venice on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.

La Biennale di Venezia furthermore announced the beginning of a new collaboration with Bvlgari, which, starting with 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 Jewellery Maison thus renews its commitment to support contemporary art, creative expression, and the dialogue between different cultures, underscoring the value of art as a universal language.

61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale
May 5 – November 22, 2026
Giardini, Arsenale, and various locations around Venice