The blaxTARLINES KUMASI artist collective at the Department of Painting and Sculpture, Faculty of Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST), has been selected to exhibit at the International Exhibition of the Venice Biennale 2026, marking a historic first for an art department, faculty, school or university in Africa.

The Venice Biennale, widely regarded as the “Olympics” of the international art world, is one of the most prestigious global platforms for contemporary art. Artists featured in the International Exhibition are selected by the Biennale’s Curator (Artistic Director) in collaboration with a team of international peer reviewers.

The inclusion of blaxTARLINES KUMASI places KNUST at the centre of global contemporary art discourse and underscores the growing international recognition of the University’s art practice and critical scholarship.

The milestone follows another major achievement in December 2025, when blaxTARLINES was named on the ArtReview Power 100 list, the annual ranking of the 100 most influential figures in the global art world.

The back-to-back recognitions signal a defining moment not only for KNUST but also for African art institutions, highlighting the Faculty of Art’s sustained contribution to shaping contemporary art narratives beyond the continent.

The Venice Biennale 2026 exhibition is expected to draw artists, curators, critics and collectors from across the world, offering an unprecedented platform for the KNUST-based collective to showcase its intellectual and artistic vision on the global stage.