As the art world prepares for the 61st Venice Biennale (May 9 – November 22, 2026), the atmosphere is uniquely poignant. This edition, titled In Minor Keys, is a tribute to its late curator, Koyo Kouoh, who passed away in May 2025 shortly after defining the exhibition’s vision.
In a powerful move of institutional solidarity, the Biennale is realizing the show exactly as Kouoh conceived it. Moving away from the “spectacle of crisis,” In Minor Keys focuses on subtler frequencies: intimacy, resilience, and the “radicality of joy.”
While the full artist list for the central exhibition will be officially unveiled on February 25, 2026, the national pavilion announcements and curatorial leaks have already spotlighted the breakout stars destined to define the conversation in Venice. 
1. Yto Barrada (France)
The Profile: Born in Paris and based in Tangier, Barrada is a seasoned multidisciplinary artist, but her selection for the French Pavilion marks her definitive entry into “Blue Chip” immortality.
Why She’s a Star: Her work (ranging from photography to film and botanical installations) investigates the “hidden” histories of Morocco and the Mediterranean. In a Biennale themed around “Minor Keys,” her focus on overlooked ecological and social narratives makes her the perfect vanguard for this edition’s philosophical core.
2. Florentina Holzinger (Austria)
The Project: Seaworld Venice
Why She’s a Star: The Viennese choreographer and performance artist is known for visceral, often provocative shows that involve nudity, stunts, and grand opera. For Venice, she is transforming the Austrian Pavilion into a “performative environment.” Holzinger represents the “Avant-Garde” half of this year’s blend, bringing high-octane physical energy to a Biennale that is otherwise leaning toward quietude.
3. Abbas Akhavan (Canada)
The Profile: Born in Tehran and based in Montreal/Berlin, Akhavan’s practice revolves around the geopolitical forces that define our spaces, gardens, domestic ruins, and bureaucratic borders.
Why He’s a Star: Akhavan is a master of the “Minor Key.” His work is often site-specific and ephemeral, using earth, water, and plants. His selection signals Canada’s shift away from grand nationalist statements toward a more poetic, research-driven interrogation of land and displacement.
4. Brilant Milazimi (Kosovo)
The Profile: Representing one of Europe’s youngest nations, Milazimi’s paintings and sculptures are dark, surreal, and deeply psychological.
Why He’s a Star: At just over 30 years old, he is one of the youngest “breakout” talents. His work, which explores the generational trauma and collective memory of Kosovo, has caught the eye of international critics for its raw, unfiltered honesty. He is expected to be the “critics’ favorite” for his ability to translate local pain into a universal aesthetic.
5. Maja Malou Lyse (Denmark)
The Profile: A digital native born in 1993, Lyse is the youngest artist to ever represent Denmark at Venice.
Why She’s a Star: Lyse brings a 21st-century perspective to the Biennale, exploring sexual politics, material culture, and the body in the age of the internet. In a year where “In Minor Keys” looks at resilience, Lyse represents the resilience of the digital youth, reclaiming bodily autonomy through humor, video, and social media critique.
The “Kouoh Effect”: What to Expect
Beyond these five, keep a close watch on the African presence in the Arsenale. Given Koyo Kouoh’s legacy as the director of Zeitz MOCAA and her “Pan-Africanist” roots, 2026 is expected to feature a heavy concentration of talent from the continent who work in “quieter registers”, think textile art, soundscapes, and intimate sculpture.
