ISE - DA

The 61st Venice Biennale.

ISE-DA was honoured to be invited to the pre-opening week of the 61st Venice Biennale — the most significant contemporary art stage in the industry.

This year's edition, In Minor Keys— Koyo Kouoh's curatorial vision, realized posthumously by her dedicated team — invited visitors to shift to a slower gear and tune in to quieter, more intimate frequencies. An incredibly strong edition, with particularly powerful showings from African and diasporic artists in the curated exhibitions, national pavilions, and compelling work in satellite shows from artists including Paulo Nazareth, Lorna Simpson, and Michael Armitage throughout.

Our founder led a delegation of patrons and board members of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art through the curated exhibition, Giardini and Arsenale, and additionally joined the Lineage and Leadership: Women Building Cultural Futures panel, highlighting the work .co and .co are doing to grow and document Black art patronage and production across the diaspora.

We will be highlighting some of our favourite artworks and pavilions in the coming weeks — including Brazilian pavilions and artists, in keeping with our Temperature Check focus.

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Members of ISE-DA's New Collectors' Program joined our inaugural Temperature Check trip to São Paulo last September — a week immersed in African diasporic art and culture, connecting with international collectors, curators, and artists across the diaspora.

ISE-DA's New Collectors' Program assists Black professionals with building their art collections with curated resources, dedicated art advisory and collection strategy, and access to acquiring works by Black artists across the diaspora. Members of our program receive priority access to our Temperature Check research trips and further opportunities.

Enrollment for Spring/Summer 2026 is now open and closes Monday, March 16th.

🔗 Link in bio to join.

Notes from Marrakesh.

Earlier this month, ISE-DA traveled with a member of our New Collectors Program to attend the Marrakesh edition of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Having previously engaged with the fair’s London and New York editions, the invitation to Marrakesh marked our first encounter with an art fair on the African continent.

In addition to the fair, the visit included institutional and cultural site visits to Le MAP – Musée des Arts de la Parure, MACAAL, and the Montresso Foundation, where we reconnected with Brazilian artists-in-residence first met in São Paulo last year.

Expanding our perspective on the work of Black Moroccan artists and the local contexts shaping contemporary practice, the trip served as a welcome continuation of ISE-DA’s ongoing field research across the African diaspora.

Experiences like this inform our advisory work and ensure our community remains connected to the cultural and market ecosystems shaping African and diasporic art globally.

As we mark the completion of the third year of the New Collectors Program at ISE-DA, this Black History Month has been a moment to reflect on the importance of collecting.

At a time when Black history is increasingly challenged or diminished, individual collectors play an important role in sustaining cultural memory and advancing Black cultural production.

What began for many members as a thoughtful entry into collecting has evolved into sustained engagement: building relationships with artists and galleries globally and beginning to acquire work that reflects personal mission, cultural context, and diasporic connection.

Over the past three years, members have taken early steps toward building collections centered on Black artists. They have acquired works by artists exhibiting in institutional shows throughout the United States and internationally.

Through .co , our international initiative, members have also explored the cultural parallels across the African diaspora and how Black art intersects with local histories, socio-political realities, and movements for self-determination.

At ISE-DA, we approach collecting beyond individual transactions — as a practice of cultural stewardship that prioritizes cultural understanding, community responsibility, and sustained engagement across the diaspora.

We remain committed to strengthening Black patronage and supporting the networks that sustain cultural production.

We hope this Black History Month has been meaningful, and we look forward to continuing our support of Black collectors and artists.

As we complete the third official year of ISE-DA’s New Collectors Program, Black History Month offers a moment to reflect on the growth of our community and the role collectors play in shaping and preserving cultural legacy.

At a time when Black history is increasingly challenged or removed, expanding Black patronage is more essential than ever. Over the past three years, our members have begun building collections centered on Black artists, developing relationships across the global art ecosystem, and acquiring work that reflects personal mission, cultural context, and diasporic connection.

Several artists whose work has been acquired by members have been included in institutional exhibitions across the United States and internationally.

Through .co , our international initiative, members have also explored the historical continuities across the African diaspora and the intersections of art, history, and movements for liberation.

At ISE-DA, collecting is approached beyond individual transactions — as a practice of cultural stewardship prioritizing context, enduring relationships, and active engagement across the diaspora.

We remain committed to strengthening Black patronage and supporting the networks that sustain cultural production.

Happy Black History Month.