The 2026 Venice Biennale, titled "In Minor Keys," opened with a powerful sense of reflection, shaped in part by tributes to the late Koyo Kouoh, the Cameroonian-Swiss curator who became the event's second African and sixth woman to lead the main exhibition.
This year's edition marked a milestone for African participation, with 13 African nations represented across the city. Yet the scale of the presence also revived a familiar question: how can visibility translate into deeper artistic agency, curatorial balance, and long-term support?
A broader story than one continent
Rather than framing the show as a single narrative about Africa, the main exhibition moved through themes of indigeneity, the natural world, memory, and dreaming. Works by artists such as Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Sammy Baloji, and Tegene Kunbi connected personal expression to wider histories, while also honoring Kouoh's curatorial vision.
Baloji's installation, which traces the classification of Kongo objects from 1450 to 1922, used enlarged sculptural forms to link cultural heritage with the extraction of minerals in the Congo. Elsewhere, Campos-Pons' tribute to Kouoh and performances inspired by oral traditions added a poetic layer to the opening week.
Historic progress, uneven structure
African artists have appeared at Venice for more than a century, but their inclusion has often been delayed or filtered through European frameworks. The first permanent African pavilion arrived only in 1952, when Egypt established its space. South Africa later became an important presence, and recent editions have seen stronger participation from countries such as Zimbabwe, Senegal, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
At the same time, the Biennale still reflects the pressures of funding, national branding, and international art-market influence. Some pavilions this year relied heavily on artists based in Europe or Asia, while others struggled with inconsistent representation or logistical gaps. Even so, several presentations stood out for their clarity, ambition, and curatorial care.
In the end, the 2026 Biennale shows that African participation is no longer peripheral; it is central to the conversation. The next step will be building structures that match that creative momentum, shaping a future where representation is matched by sustained artistic power.