The board
The Koyo Kouoh Foundation is established to preserve, continue, and expand the visionary work of Koyo Kouoh. Rooted in her commitment to artistic discourse, critical thought, and cultural transformation, the foundation serves as a platform for future generations.
Born in Switzerland. - saxophonist and composer with over 50 years of experience in various music areas (Jazz, Ethno, Funk, Fusion, Contemporary Music, Performing Arts )
Philippe Mall
President of the Board of Directors-
He was a lecturer at various music schools, including the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) for over 25 years. Performed in Europe , Africa , Asia and Amerika. He was the Partner of Koyo for the last 17 years.
Michèle Sandoz is an independent cultural strategist and entrepreneur working across Europe, Asia and Africa at the intersection of art, patronage and institutional development, bridging continents and building constellations of support.
Michèle Sandoz
Vice President-
Through her practice artmatters, she cultivates partnerships for long-term cultural exchange and, amongst other roles, serves as Senior Strategic Advisor, Global Patronage at Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town.
Josef Helfenstein (*1957) lives and works in Basel. He studied at the University of Geneva and completed his doctorate on Meret Oppenheim at the University of Bern in 1991. He served as Chief Curator of the Paul Klee Foundation and the Department of Drawings and Prints at the Kunstmuseum Bern until 2000.
Josef Helfenstein
Curator-
In 2000, he accepted a call to the USA, where he initially headed the Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and held a professorship in the Art History Department. From 2004 to the end of 2015, he was Director of the Menil Collection and Foundation in Houston, Texas. From 2016 to 2023, he was Director of the Kunstmuseum Basel. He has curated many exhibitions and published widely on the art of the 19th, 20th and 21th centuries.
Dr. Adriene Edwards is the Engell Speyer Family Senior Curator and Associate Director of Curatorial Programs at the Whitney Museum of American Art as well as Professor of Practice at Arizona State University in the Department of English and the Center for Imagination in the Borderlands.
Dr. Adrienne Edwards
Curator-
She holds a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from New York University.
For more than 30 years Kate Fowle has developed an international practice as a director, curator, writer and educator. Currently she is director of arts programs for The Hearthland Foundation, based in New York.
Kate Fowle
Curator-
Over the last 18 years, she has served as the director of MoMA PS1 in New York; the first US senior curatorial director for Hauser & Wirth; the inaugural chief curator at Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow; the executive director of Independent Curators International (ICI); and the inaugural international curator at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing. Fowle trained as an artist and began her career as a curator at the Towner Art Gallery and Museum in South-East England in 1994.
Alfredo Jaar is an artist, photographer, architect, and filmmaker who lives and works in Lisbon. His work has been shown extensively around the world.
Alfredo Jaar
Artist-
He has participated in the Biennales of Venice (1986, 2007, 2009, 2013), Sao Paulo (1987, 1989, 2010, 2021) as well as Documenta in Kassel (1987, 2002).
Cathia Lawson-Hall is a strategic advisor and independent board director focused on Europe and Africa. Deeply engaged in the arts, she serves on the board of Les Amis du Centre Pompidou, supporting the museum’s acquisitions.
Cathia Lawson-Hall
Banker-
She also contributes to initiatives promoting emerging African artists.