Uganda

Kampala, the title of the Uganda Pavilion at the Biennale Arte 2026, was chosen by Sanaa Gateja, an exhibiting artist in our 2024 National Pavilion.

Kampala responds to Koyo Kouoh’s In Minor Keys through a seven-person exhibition supported by the Uganda Government in an unprecedented move. Together, we are showing off Kampala’s family to the world in Venice, and inviting the world back to Kampala as an art and coffee destination.

In Minor Keys represents the “ecology” and “rich ecosystems” reflected in Kampala’s making. Before 1890, Kampala was a hunting ground for kings and nobles, fondly referred to as “Akasozi k’empala” — Luganda for “The Hill of Impalas”. How its name changed from “Akasozi k’empala” to “Kampala” opens us up to shifty gazes and diplomatic coffee breaks as one of the largest producers in the world of both Robusta and Arabica.

Oxymorons abound here in Kampala. Yet still, the music is nice; even though in minor keys glaring fragilities persist throughout the exhibition. Diplomacy demands silence. Yet the very silence honours the absence of Koyo Kouoh who exited this realm so suddenly. Only yesterday, she was here with us all, visiting me in Kampala. Kampala is now in Venice with Koyo.