contessanally: Ca' Giustinian - Press Presentation - 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia - In Minor Keys

Press Presentation

The 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia

In Minor Keys - by Koyo Kouoh

The press presentation of - The 61st International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia - In Minor Keys - by Koyo Kouoh - May 9-November 22 - begins quietly, like a story told in a low voice shaped by the vision of the late curator Koyo Kouoh who passed away in 2025, her presence will be deeply felt throughout the exhibition. She had already imagined its structure, selected the artists, and set its tone — one grounded in care, listening, and human connection. With the support of her family, the Biennale chose to carry her project forward, honoring the work she pursued until the very end.

"We mapped practices and projects, we identified resonances, affinities, synchronicities and conversations, we extracted motifs to structure the exhibition and pillars on which to draw it. Notions like enchantment, seeding, commoning, and generative practices that invite collectivities, emerged organically."

Koyo Kouoh

in April 2025, with her team under the shades of a mango tree at the - RAW Material Company - the cultural center founded by her.

Team Kouoh

In Minor Keys - is the title chosen by the late Koyo Kouoh for the - Biennale Arte 2026 - as specified in the curatorial text, that vision has been carefully realised by the team Kouoh assembled and trusted: Marie Hélène Pereira, Gabe Beckhurst Feijoo, and Rasha Salti - advisors - Siddhartha Mitter - editor-in-chief - and Rory Tsapayi - research assistant. Working across continents, they continued Kouoh’s method of curating as a shared, relational practice. The pivotal meeting in Dakar, held beneath a mango tree, became the emotional and conceptual anchor of the exhibition — a moment where ideas aligned, resonances emerged, and the “music” of the project could finally be heard.

The title In Minor Keys reflects Kouoh’s belief that art does not need to be loud to be powerful. Like music played softly, it asks for attention, sensitivity, and time. Rather than fixed sections, the exhibition moves through recurring motifs — shrines, processions, schools, and spaces of rest — allowing visitors to drift between works and meanings. Literary influences helped shape this rhythm, including Beloved by Toni Morrison and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, novels that move between memory, history, and imagination. Poetry also takes center stage, with live performances inspired by Kouoh’s own Poetry Caravan, affirming storytelling as a form of healing and transmission.

"Visitors are invited to slow down, to rest, and to listen — to each other, to the earth, and to themselves..."

Bringing together 111 artists from across the world, In Minor Keys celebrates connection over spectacle. Tributes to artists such as Issa Samb and Beverly Buchanan highlight art as something lived, shared, and deeply human. Visitors are invited to slow down, to rest, and to listen — to each other, to the earth, and to themselves. In doing so, the exhibition carries forward Kouoh’s lasting message: that the most meaningful transformations often happen quietly, in the minor keys of our shared humanity.

Issa Samb - 1945-2017

Beverly Buchanan

Annalee Davis

Torkwase Dyson

Pauline Oliveros

Fabrice Aragno

Laurie Anderson

"The joy of authentic art, which so faithfully resembles real life..”

Pietrangelo Buttafuoco

President - La Biennale di Venezia

“The joy of authentic art, which so faithfully resembles real life,” reflects Pietrangelo Buttafuoco - In Minor Keys - conceived by Koyo Kouoh, invites visitors to rediscover the human at the heart of everything — the small gestures, the connection to the earth, and the sense of proportion in life. Through her vision, art becomes a gentle guide, encouraging humility, presence, and the joy of creating with one’s own hands, reminding us that meaning and happiness often reside in the simple, tangible, and shared experiences of our daily lives."

Pietrangelo Buttafuoco and Maria Cristiana Costanzo