We mourn the passing of our dearly departed sister and long-time comrade, the Cameroonian thinker, curator and institution-builder Koyou Kouoh.
Koyo’s incisive voice, bold imagination and unyielding commitment transformed not only the landscape of contemporary art in Africa but redefined the possibilities of artistic dialogue across borders. She founded the Dakar-based RAW Material Company and worked as Executive Director and Chief Curator Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) in Cape Town. Along the way, she curated many global exhibitions of contemporary African art, and was selected as appointed as Artistic Director of the forthcoming Venice Biennale. However, her work transcended museum walls, sparked new conversations and reshaped narratives across Africa and its Diaspora, touching lives far beyond the realm of art.
Koyo had a long-standing collaboration with Chimurenga. She invited us to conceptualise and direct the RAW Academy in Dakar during 2016-17, and co-published our multi-year research on FESTAC ’77 (2015-19), among many other projects. She will always be a member of the Chimurenga family.
