Traces of colonialism are often hidden in plain sight and continue to have a conscious or unconscious effect in today’s society.
In this project/exhibition the traces are a school building, a park, imperialist myths, but also the presence of people with African roots (who are) born in Belgium. Fifteen international artists inhabit the imaginary city, Congoville ,where they guide the visitor over the Middelheim site. They walk as ‘black flâneurs’ through the present and history and guide us in a quest to represent once again an open and shared public space. Their artistic practice presents different and new perspectives to a history that is too often told from a single perspective.
Participating artists: Sammy Baloji (DRC/BE), Bodys Isek Kingelez (DRC), Maurice Mbikayi (DRC/SA), Jean Katambayi (DRC), KinAct Collective (DRC/BE/FR), Simone Leigh (US), Hank Willis Thomas (US), Zahia Rahmani (FR), Ibrahim Mahama (GH), Ângela Ferreira (PT), Kapwani Kiwanga (CAN/FR), Sven Augustijnen (BE), Pascale Marthine Tayou (CAM/BE), Elisabetta Benassi (IT), Pélagie Gbaguidi (BEN/BE).
The exhibition’s curator is Sandrine Colard (BE/US), assistant professor of African Art History at Rutgers University, Newark.
Watch the video here.
More information here.
