Friederike Schäfer on the 61stLa Biennale di Venezia 2026 The curatorial statement for the 61st Venice Biennale (9 May to 22 November 2026) opens with an invitation: “[Take a deep breath] [Exhale] [Drop your shoulders] [Close your eyes]” (Kouoh, Part I). With this brief somatic exercise, the late curator Koyo Kouoh introduced her theme In Minor Keys. At first glance, this instruction to shift attention from external stimuli towards introspection seems counterintuitive for a large-scale biennial, whose very format thrives on an abundance of aesthetic experiences elicited through various exhibitions that only together converge to La Biennale. Alongside the curated…