Koyo Kouoh

Koyo Kouoh

neda

Sex or gender	female
Country of citizenship	Cameroon, Switzerland
Given name	Koyo
Family name	Kouoh
Date of birth	24 Yuum-sar kiuugu 1967
Zĩ-ninga o roge	Douala
Date of death	10 Sig-noy kiuugu 2025
Place of death	Basel
Languages spoken, written or signed	English
Occupation	curator, exhibition curator
Field of work	exhibition curation, modern art, contemporary art
Employer	Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
Position held	museum director, director
Work location	Dakar, Cape Town
Significant event	Venice Biennale

Koyo Kouoh (tʋʋmd kiuug rasem 24 yʋʋm 1967 - yʋʋm yʋʋm 2025) yaa Kamerõ-Swisis tẽnga minim minim minim minim sẽn zãad n yaa minim minim minim ning sẽn be Zayts Museum of Contemporary Art Africa sẽn be Cape Town, Afirik Kibar soolmẽ wã, yʋʋm 2019 n sɩng n yaa minim ning sẽn zãad ne minim minim minim nins sẽn be zĩig ning sẽn zãada. Yʋʋmd 2015 soabã pʋgẽ, The New York Times wilgame t'a yaa "Afrika tẽnga sẽn tar minim n maand minimã la a sẽn maand minimã" la yʋʋmd 2014 n tãag yʋʋm 2022 wã, ArtReview n yãk-a tɩ b yaa nin-buiidã sẽn tar pãng wʋsg sẽn be dũniyã pʋgẽ wã sʋka.

A Kouoh bɩɩ Kamerun, la sẽn wa n wa n zĩnd-a wã, a zĩnda Swisri. A sẽn lebg nin-tũusgẽ, a kolga Dakar, Senegal, n na n maan fɩtɛɛr sẽn na yɩl n tõog n yɩ fɩtɩɩr ning sẽn na n yɩ a soaba, la a lugl fɩtɩr ning sẽn yaa fɩtʋʋr ning sẽn get fɩtɛr ning sẽn getẽ, la fɩtẽr ning sẽn boond tɩ RAW Material Company. Yʋʋmd 2019 wã, b yãka a Zeitz Art Museum of Contemporary Art Africa sẽn yaa b sẽn da wa n yikã, sẽn be Cape Town, Afirik Dĩngda, tɩ b yɩ a taoor soaba. A "paasa b sẽn na n wilg tɩ b yaa nin-buiidã sẽn get b sẽn get b kongrã yelle, n sõng b sẽn get a Afrika wã la b sẽn getẽ wã". A yaa b sẽn yãk-a tɩ yɩ a Venise Biennal yʋʋm 2026 wã taoor soaba hal tɩ ta a kibra sẽn yɩ to-to yʋʋmd 2025 soabã.

A Viim singre la kaorengo

A Koyo Kouoh dogame yʋʋmd 1967 yʋʋm-sar kiuug rasem 24 wã, Douala, Kamerun. A zĩnda Douala hal n ta a yʋʋm 13 la a kolga ne a zakã rãmb Zurich, Swis, n zĩnd be yʋʋm piig la pʋɩ-sʋk sẽn pʋgdã.[9][2] A zãmsda zakã zãmgsg la bãnkã wɛɛngẽ Zurich, la a zãmsda kulturã zãmgã Frans. A ra gomda Frans, Alemã, Ingliz la Itali.

A Margaret Busby sẽn gʋls yʋʋmd 1992 wã sebr ning sẽn yaa "Afrique des filles: une anthologie internationale des mots et des écrits de femmes d'origine africaine" wã n sõng-a lame. A Kouoh sɩngame n tik a yam n gʋls la a tik a sẽn dat n gʋls bũmb ninsã.A sẽn wa n tẽeg tɩ " [Tõndã] ra yaa tɩlae ne m bãngrã sẽn wilgd tɩ m tõe n maan bũmb nins sẽn yaa bũmbu. Sẽn yɩɩd fãa, m ra segd n maana pagb sẽn tar pãng la b koɛɛgã sẽn tar yõodã. D sẽn vɩ Alemand buud-gomd pʋgẽ, tɩ b pa wʋmd Afirik nebã koɛɛg wʋsg ye, m yãka yam n na n maan sɛb-gʋlsd sẽn na yɩl n maan bũmb ning a Busby sẽn maan ne gom-biisdã buud-gomdã pʋgẽ wã".  Yʋʋmd 1994 wã, a Kouoh me kɩtame tɩ b yiis "Töchter Afrikas", sẽn yaa Afirik kom-biis nins sẽn gomd Alemand buud goamẽ wã saam-biis sẽn yitẽ.

Yʋʋmd a sẽn pʋgdã, a kẽnga Dakar, Senegal, n na n sõs ne filim-gʋlsdã Ousmane Sembène.

A Curotirial tuuma

A Kouoh sɩngame n yaa Amerika konsulaatã nin-buiidã la a yaa nin-vɩɩs sẽn pa tar b mens ye. Yʋʋmd 2000 wã, a yãa Afirik Kibɩt artist Tracey Rose la Nigeri-Belgi artist Otobong Nkanga, b yiibã fãa la a Kouoh na n yã n zĩnd n wilg b sẽn na n wa n maan yɩɩr wʋsg beoog-daare. Yʋʋmd 2001 la 2003 wã, a Kouoh yɩɩ saam-bi-bi-tʋʋmd-gʋlsdã a Simon Njami sẽn zĩnd Mali wã, n na n wilg b sẽn na n maan fotã sẽn yaa b sẽn maand b to-to wã. A sõngame me tɩ b toeem la a tʋm a tʋʋmdã ne Dakar Biennale wã yʋʋmd 2000 n tãag yʋʋmd 2004.

Yʋʋmd 2008 n tãag yʋʋmd 2019, a Kouoh yɩɩ RAW Material Company siglgã taoor soaba,  sẽn yaa Dakar ned sẽn maand yɩɩr ne a sẽn maand yɩɩrã, n maand yɩɩr n wilg b sẽn maandã. Yʋʋm kobs sẽn pʋglẽ wã, RAW paama kaset tɩ yaa ne kibay sẽn yaa sõma la a lebg tẽn-tẽng sẽn tar waoogre.Yʋʋmd 2014 soabã pʋgẽ, b ra zabda ne b sẽn na n wilg b sẽn na yɩl n wilg b mens tɩ b pa segd n maan b toor ye. B sẽn wa n maand maand maandã, b yãka yam n na n basa tʋʋm-kãnga.

A Kouoh yɩɩ Documenta 12 (2007) la 13 (2012) la EVA International (Irlandi Faso sẽn maand yʋʋm-bi-bi-niir sẽn yaa taabã kibay) saglg taoor soaba yʋʋm 2016. A sẽn na n wilg tɩ b yaa nin-wẽnsã, a kɩtame tɩ b wilg b sẽn maand bũmb ning sẽn yaa b sẽn da maand n na n wilg b sẽn maan yʋʋm kobs a ye n wilg tɩ pa-b nẽedã yaa nin-tɩrsã. A wilga b sẽn maand yɩɩl ning sẽn yaa "Weting for the Barbarians" sẽn yit Gɛrk gʋlsd a Constantin P. Cavafy nengẽ.  Yaa a Kader Attia, a Liam Gillick, a Abdoulaye Konaté, a Alice Maher la a Tracey Rose. B sẽn get b sẽn maand bũmb ninsã, b yeelame tɩ b "maana zab-teed sẽn yaa sõma, sẽn yaa sɩda, la sẽn yaa toog wʋsg ne b sẽn da tagsd n maand bũmb ninsã yʋʋmd 191

A Kouoh zĩnda Afrika sẽn yaa taab n maand minimã kibay kibay kibas yʋʋmd 2013 wã, a Somerset House sẽn be Londẽ wã, n wilg a sẽn na n maan kibay la seminaar dãmb kibas wakat a ye.

Yʋʋmd 2015 wã, a wilga b sẽn na n maan bũmb ning sẽn yaa "Body Talk: Feminism, Sexuality and the Body in the Works of Six African Women Artists", sẽn yik ne WIELS Contemporary Art Centre sẽn be Brüksel la a sẽn zĩnd ne-a wã. Tʋʋm-kãng sẽn wa n zĩnd Frans tẽnga Metz tẽnga, FRAC Lorraine wã, kɩtame tɩ New York Times wã yeel woto: "Tõnd yʋʋm kobs a yiib sẽn looge, a Kouoh lebga Afrɩka tẽnga taoor dãmb la minim dãmba taoor dãmb sẽn tar minim wʋsg ne a sẽn tall sũ-noog ne a sẽn yaa nin-tɩrsã, a sẽn tar yam sẽn tar pãng n tarã, a tar buud-goam wʋsg sẽn tõe n bãng n bãng (a gomd Frans, Alemã, Ingliz la Itali wã sõma, la a mii Rus kʋdemdã) la a sẽn tar nonglem wʋsg ne bõn-naandsã fãa".

A Kouoh ra yaa b baoob sull ning sẽn yãk Polõnd taoor soab a Adam Szymczyk t'a yɩ documenta 14 taoor soaba yʋʋm 2017 wã pʋgẽ.

Zeitz MOCAA

Afrika sẽn yaa Afrika tẽn-tẽng sẽn yaa kãseng n yɩɩd tẽn-tẽngã, a Zeitz Art Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) yikame yʋʋmd 2017 tɩ b meega a Jochen Zeitz sẽn yaa maan-taagã raagã wɛɛngẽ. La yʋʋmd ning sẽn pʋglã, b basa a Mark Coetzee sẽn yaa a taoor soaba, a sẽn da be tẽn-kʋdgrã poorẽ.  A Kouoh paama a tʋʋm-naasg ning sẽn na n yɩ Zeitz MOCAA taoor soaba la taoor soaba yʋʋm 2019 wã.

A Kouoh sẽn wa n wa wã, gaazeb a ye wilgame tɩ "bɩɩsã ra yaa toogo, la b ra pa tar b rãmb sõma ye". Yʋʋmd ning sẽn pʋglã, a Kouoh le paasame tɩ b paas b sull ning sẽn get b tʋʋmdã yelle, la b paasame tɩ yaa b sẽn get b sẽn get bũmb ninsã. COVID-19 sẽn kɩt tɩ b sul b sẽn da be zĩigã, b leb n tʋlgame n na n tɩ ges neb wʋsg. A Kouoh sẽn da maand a tʋʋmdã pʋgẽ, a wilgame tɩ yaa a sẽn maand a toorẽ wã n na n wilg a sẽn maandẽ wã. A sẽn da maand b sẽn da maand bũmb ninsã sʋka, a Mary Evans, a Tracey Rose, la a Johannes Phokela. A Rose sẽn da wa n maand bũmb ning fãa wã, a kẽngame n kẽng Queens Museum, tɩ b sẽn da gʋls a pʋgẽ wã wilg tɩ a yaa "maand-rãmb sẽn wa n be tẽn-gãongã poore, wala sẽn na n yɩ to-to, la b lebs-a-la a Zeova". Wala Art Newspaper sẽn yeelã: "Rose wã kibsã wilgame tɩ [Kouoh] yãka yam n na n maan Afrɩka kɛlgdbã kibsã la a lʋɩɩs a pʋg-paalgã, ne Negre feminizmã la Negre pʋg-paalga".

A Kouoh sẽn da be Zeitz MOCAA wã taoor-lʋɩtbã taoor tɩ b wilg b sẽn na n maan Afrɩka fãa kibarã, tɩ b sʋka: b sẽn na yɩl n bãngẽ tɩ b sẽn maan bũmb ninsã yaa sẽn na n yɩ to-to wã (2022-2023), la b kẽng n kẽng Boraz, Brüksel.

A Meng viim

A Kouoh kẽnga kãadem. [8] A ra tara bi-pugl a ye la kamb a tãabo. A zĩnda Afrika sẽn be Saabg ne Suwis.

A Kuum la yel sana

A Kouoh kiime tao-tao ne bãas roog sẽn be Basel, Swis, yʋʋmd 2025 soabã, sẽn na n yɩ yʋʋm 57. A sɩdã, a Philippe Mall, yeelame t'a pa yã n kaoos tɩ b bãng t'a tara kansɛɛr ye. A ra na n yɩɩ yʋʋm 2026 wã Venise Biennalã taoor soaba. A sẽn wa n ki wã, a yeelame: "A kũumã kɩtame tɩ b pa le tõe n yã bũmb nins sẽn be b sẽn maand rũndã-rũndã wã ye, la b pa le yãend b sẽn maandẽ wã ye".  A Zeitz MOCAA sẽn kõ a waoogre wã yeelame: "B sẽn yã bũmb ningã, a sẽn tʋll n maan bũmb ningã, la a sẽn pa tõe n tõog n maan bũmb ninsã kɩtame tɩ b bãng b sẽn maand bũmb ninsã.

A Kouoh sẽn gʋls seb-gʋlsd a ye sẽn ki wã pʋgẽ, a yeelame

Sẽn paase, mam sẽn yaa Afrɩka pag ning pipi sẽn na n yɩ Biennalã taoor soaba pa rẽ yĩng ye. Baa ne m sẽn mi tɩ yaa yõod tɩ m yɩ Afrɩka pag ning pipi sẽn na n paam tʋʋm kãnga, m tẽedame tɩ m sẽn yãk-a wã yaa mak-sõng n pa na n yɩ bũmb sẽn pa wõnd a taabã ye. Mam sẽn get beoog-daare wã yaa tɩ neb wʋsg sẽn maan bõn-kãsems a woto wã pa le tar yõod ye. Sẽn yaa sõma n yɩɩd yaa b sẽn na n yɩ pipi wã, la b sẽn na yɩl tɩ kʋɩlengã kell n paa neb nins sẽn na n wa n pʋg-a wã yĩnga.

A Tuum sana

• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), member of the board
• The Vera List Center for Art and Politics at The New School, member of the 2018–2020 prize jury
• Celeste Prize, member of the board
• Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, member of the Curatorial Advisory Group (2018–2019)
• Teaching and workshops, such as Forecast mentorship in Berlin

A Waogre

Yʋʋmd 2014 tɩ ta 2022, ArtReview kɩtame t'a Kouoh paam n lebg nin-buiidã sẽn tar pãng wʋsg dũniyã pʋgẽ yʋʋm fãa. A paama a 32 soabã yʋʋm 2020 pʋgẽ.

Yʋʋmd 2020 soabã pʋgẽ, a Kouoh paama Swiss Grand Award for Art / Prix Meret Oppenheim, sẽn waoogd tʋʋm nins sẽn maan minimã, a sẽn maand ne a sẽn maand n maand ne a Zeova wã, a sẽn ningd a sẽn maand a raabã, a sẽn maan ne a sẽn maan bũmb ninsã, a sẽn get a sẽn maand bũmb ninsã, la a sẽn maand b sẽn maand ne yẽ mengã.

A SEB NINS A SIN MOONE

• Condition Report on Building Art Institutions in Africa (2012)
• Word!Word?Word! Issa Samb and The Undecipherable Form (2013)
• Condition Report on Art History in Africa (2020)
• Breathing Out of School: RAW Académie (2021)
• When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting (as editor; 2022)
• Shooting Down Babylon (2022), monograph on the work of Tracey Rose