At the 2026 Venice Biennale, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art brought 100 guests to preview week, anchoring a distinctly African lens on one of the world’s biggest art stages. This episode explores Koyo Kouoh’s vision for In Minor Keys, the presence of 13 African nations, and the role of NMAfA’s Art Ambassadors in helping shape how African pavilions are seen, discussed, and remembered. From guided tours to deeper questions of narrative authority, this is Venice reframed through African eyes.

Koyo Kouoh became the first African woman to lead the Venice Biennale since its founding in 1895, and before her death in 2025, she set out a bold vision for the 2026 edition. This episode explores how she shaped the theme In Minor Keys, why her approach mattered for African contemporary art, and how artists and curators are carrying her influence forward.We look at the ideas behind the exhibition, the significance of Kouoh’s leadership, and the lasting impact of a curator who wanted the Biennale to speak to both the world we live in now and the world we want to make.