Sammy Baloji: Colonial Legacy and Contemporary Art in Congo
Born in 1978 in Lubumbashi, Sammy Baloji is a Congolese artist celebrated for his work in photography, video, and installation art. Initially studying literature, he later shifted his focus to visual arts, exploring themes of colonialism, urbanism, ethnographic exploitation, and architecture. His notable exhibitions include the Venice Biennale, the Dakar Biennale, and the recent 'Congo as Fiction' at Zurich's Rietberg Museum. In an interview with Artribune, he elaborates on his 'Mémoire' series and 'Paesaggi Estrattivi' at Stadtgalerie Strasbourg, which features cannon shells filled with flowers. Baloji also critiques museum practices in 'Other Tales' and produced 'Tales of the Copper Cross Garden, Episode I' for Documenta 14. He collaborated with Olafur Eliasson and organized a performance with writer Fiston Mwanza during his residency at the French Academy in Rome.
Key facts
- Sammy Baloji was born in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 1978.
- He studied literature and humanities before working in comics, photography, and video.
- His work focuses on colonialism, ethnographic exploitation, urbanism, and architecture.
- He participated in two Venice Biennales, the Dakar Biennale, and 'Congo as Fiction' at Rietberg Museum Zurich.
- The 'Mémoire' series uses photomontage juxtaposing color photos of industrial landscapes with archival images from Union Minière du Haut Katanga.
- The installation 'Paesaggi Estrattivi' at Stadtgalerie Strasbourg features empty cannon shells with flowers, referencing trench art from World Wars.
- The Berlin Conference (1884-85) arbitrarily divided Africa, creating the Congo as a political construction.
- For Documenta 14, he made 'Tales of the Copper Cross Garden, Episode I', a 42-minute film with texts by Valentin Mudimbe and music by Joseph Kiwele.
- He collaborated with Olafur Eliasson and organized a performance with Fiston Mwanza on 'Kàsalà'.
- The interview took place during his residency at the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici.
Entities
Artists
- Sammy Baloji
- Olafur Eliasson
- Valentin Mudimbe
- Joseph Kiwele
- Fiston Mwanza
- Thomas McEvill
- Lorenzo Taiuti
Institutions
- Accademia di Francia – Villa Medici
- Museo Rietberg
- Stadtgalerie Strasbourg
- Centre Pompidou
- MoMA
- Documenta 14
- Union Minière du Haut Katanga
- Gécamines
- Museo Etnografico Pigorini
- Ospedale della Carità di Berlino
- Artribune
- Artforum
Locations
- Lubumbashi
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Congo
- Rome
- Italy
- Zurich
- Switzerland
- Strasbourg
- France
- Paris
- Berlin
- Germany
- Katanga
- Copperbelt
- Africa
- Europe
- United States
- Namibia
- Camerun
- Tanzania
- Ruanda
- Urundi
- Belgium
- South Africa
- Athens
- Greece