SAMMI BALOJI
BIO
The artist Sammy Baloji (b. 1978, Lubumbashi, DR Congo) lives and works between Lubumbashi and Brussels. Since 2005 he has been exploring the memory and history of the Democratic Republic of Congo. His work is an ongoing investigation into the cultural, architectural and industrial heritage of the Katanga region, as well as questioning the impact of Belgian colonization. His critical view of contemporary societies serves as a warning of the ways in which cultural clichés continue to shape collective memory, allowing social and political power games to continue to dictate human behavior.
FILMOGRAPHY
L’arbre de l’authenticité, 2024. Documentary.
Rumba Rules, New Genealogies, 2000. Documentary.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
The story of Yangambi is not just about the Congo. It is the story of the global economy and its consequences for people and the environment. Yangambi’s geographical location and its database linked to the climatological observation of the equatorial forest, becomes a space through which I metaphorically question the consequences of human actions and our relationship with nature. The film explores the contemporary challenges of the Anthropocene, raising questions about shared heritage, the impact of colonization on nature, and the responsibilities of Congolese, Western and global societies to find a way out of the ecological crisis.