The untimely passing of curator Koyo Kouoh, the artistic director of the 2026 Venice Biennale, has been deeply felt throughout the art world for the past year. Now, artist Derrick Adams will pay tribute to Kouoh via a monumental installation in Venice this week.
A banner version of his collage Heavy is the head that wears the crown (2026) will be installed on the facade of the Palazzetto dello sport Giobatta Gianquinto, facing the Rio della Tana, near the Arsenale, one of the Biennale’s main venues. Done in his signature style, this newly realized work features a portrait of Kouoh, whose face and arms are rendered as different geometrical shapes; above her head is the word “JOY,” from which golden rays radiate.
“My hope that this important contribution acts as a reminder that the ongoing fight for what is right requires most of our attention, and we make space to give those we respect their flowers for their commitment to the creative community,” Adams told ARTnews in an emailed interview.
The idea for creating this tribute came from Francesco Bonami, who is curating the presentation. Bonami had first met Kouoh when he invited her to sit on the Golden Lion jury for his 2003 Biennale. They never formally collaborated again, but stayed in touch and he followed her career over the next two decades.
“The week before her appointment, I had a feeling she would be chosen, so I reached out to encourage her,” Bonami said in an email to ARTnews. “We promised to meet and exchange notes about my experience in Venice and her plans for the future, but unfortunately, that never happened.”
After Kouoh’s passing, Bonami conducted a studio visit with Adams, who was working “on a series of drawings dedicated to major Black figures in art, culture, politics, and music who had passed away,” Bonami said. “I suggested that we create something in Venice as a tribute to Koyo. Although Derrick had only met her briefly, we both revisited interviews where she spoke about celebrating joy in relation to Black painting and art. From there, the project developed almost as an improvised intervention.”
Adams said his work is motivated by the desire to “celebrate and highlight those devoted to uplifting others, … especially at times when tragedy overshadows major accomplishments. From my observation, Koyo Kouoh did a great thing and I wanted as many people walking the streets of Venice for the Biennale, including the locals to take notice.”
The decision to place it on the facade of a building, as a public mural, was to make it “something accessible to everyone, outside the exclusive networks of parties and events that happen during the Biennale,” Bonami said. Added Adams, “I wanted my contribution to be meaningful.”
The Biennale begins its professional previews this week, ahead of its public opening on May 9, and the art world will soon get a chance to see Kouoh’s final exhibition. Her untimely passing, Bonami said, “is a tragic and unprecedented turn of events. Yet, she had a spirit and strength that seem to endure beyond her physical presence. When ideas are powerful, they survive beyond the limits and tragedies of life. I hope people will feel that continuity in her exhibition.”
For his part, Adams connected his portrait of Kouoh to the larger concerns of the world, which her exhibition will almost certainly touch upon. “We should always remind ourselves that despite the many challenges we face, even during these times of political turmoil or internal strife,” Adams said of the work, “it is also important to celebrate loudly the people in our worldwide community who have the vision to see beyond the obstacles before them and show up for those without a voice.”
