Renzo Martens's 'White Cube' Confronts Art World Complicity with Congolese Palm Oil Plantations

In his 2020 documentary 'White Cube,' Dutch artist Renzo Martens examines the intersection of contemporary art and the lives of palm oil plantation workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This film follows his earlier work, 'Episode III: Enjoy Poverty' from 2008. At the Boteka plantation, where daily wages are under a dollar, Martens initiated a workshop. Economist Richard Florida contributed via video to address gentrification. The documentary highlights Martens's partnership with workers in Lusanga, leading to the formation of the Cercle d'Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise (CATPC), whose sculptures were scanned and reproduced in Europe. These artworks were showcased in 2017 at venues including Cardiff's National Museum. 'White Cube' critiques the connections between Western cultural institutions and extractive economies, questioning the divide between cultural consumption and agricultural production.