Big Chief Demond Melancon, Ethiopia, 2018. Courtesy of the Artist.
‘I wanted to make her proud’: Venice Biennale artists on realising the late Koyo Kouoh’s vision
At the 61st Venice Biennale, Koyo Kouoh’s curatorial theme In Minor Keys shapes an exhibition grounded in subtlety, emotion, and non-dominant narratives. Conceived prior to her passing, the project encourages a move away from spectacle toward quieter, more introspective modes of artmaking.
The article reflects on how participating artists interpret and carry forward Kouoh’s vision, embracing nuance, slowness, and ambiguity as meaningful responses to contemporary realities. Figures such as Big Chief Demond Melancon foreground intimate histories, diasporic narratives, and layered visual languages that resist dominant frameworks.
Softness and restraint emerge as deliberate strategies rather than limitations—offering alternative ways to engage audiences and reframe perception. In this context, the exhibition stands as both a tribute to Kouoh’s legacy and a proposition for rethinking the role of art today.
