Centuries of Endurance Undergird “In Minor Keys”
Writing for Hyperallergic, Hakim Bishara describes In Minor Keys, the central exhibition of the 2026 Venice Biennale, as a powerful posthumous realization of curator Koyo Kouoh’s vision. Bringing together 111 international artists with a strong emphasis on artists from Africa, the Caribbean, and their diasporas, the exhibition centers poetry, ritual, mourning, endurance, and political resistance. Rather than foregrounding rage, the article presents the exhibition as a space for reflection, healing, and self-forgiveness, while still confronting colonialism, displacement, and ongoing violence, including solidarity with Gaza.
A major highlight of the exhibition is the presence of Big Chief Demond Melancon, whose plumed and intricately beaded Mardi Gras suit welcomes visitors at the Giardini pavilion. Described by Bishara as “glorious,” the work introduces the exhibition’s broader focus on ancestral memory, Black cultural traditions, and resilience. As a leading figure in New Orleans’s Black Masking Indian tradition, Melancon’s inclusion establishes a ceremonial and spiritual tone that continues throughout the exhibition, alongside dedicated presentations of artists such as Issa Samb and Beverly Buchanan.
The review ultimately frames In Minor Keys as one of the most politically and emotionally resonant Venice Biennales in recent years, shaped not only by Kouoh’s curatorial vision but also by protests, strikes, and artist-led activism that unfolded throughout the exhibition.
