Symposium on Kinshasa's Artistic Imaginaries at SOAS

On Friday, May 13, 2023, from 11:00 to 15:30 (BST/WAST), the SOAS Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre in London hosted a symposium entitled 'La Sape and Other Local Imaginaries in Kinshasa,' which was also accessible online via Zoom. Organized by Afterall, the event featured four speakers who explored the contributions of artists, designers, and writers from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The discussions focused on how contemporary art, fashion, and literature reflect emerging local imaginaries amidst swift technological and economic shifts. With the DRC possessing the largest global reserves of coltan and cobalt, Kinshasa is anticipated to grow to 83 million residents by 2100. The event was conducted in French, with English subtitles for recorded segments and live translation. Felwine Sarr's 'Afrotopia' (2016) inspired the dialogue, highlighting a shift from a 'reservoir of miseries' to a hopeful narrative, suggesting Africa's potential to surpass China and other BRICS nations as a creative and economic powerhouse.