Artist Talk

Forgotten by time. Men's bodies, 2016. Recovery equipment, keys, spoons, forks, scissors, crown caps, mouse traps and cartridge cases. Collection of the artist, Kinshasa - © Wonda-Mansia, Kinshasa, 2020.

About the speakers

• Freddy Tsimba, artist

Freddy Bienvenu Tsimba (Kinshasa, 1967) is known and renowned in Kinshasa and the international art scene. He works with bronze and scrap metal. The independent and engaged Congolese artist is deeply attached to human rights, particularly those of the most fragile ‒ mothers and children. Tsimba is famous for his sculptures made from casings and cartridges and for his machete houses. He has participated in several editions of the Biennale de Dakar (2002, 2006 and 2008) as well as group exhibitions such as The Divine Comedy (2014), Kongo am Rhein (Basel, 2017) and Afriques Capitales (Lille, 2017) under the aegis of Simon Njami.
 

• In Koli Jean Bofane, writer and curator of the exhibition Mabele eleki lola! The earth, brighter than paradise

In Koli Jean Bofane (Mbandaka, 1954) is a Congolese writer and exhibit curator. His books have won several prizes and been translated into several languages. They include Pourquoi le lion n’est plus le roi des animaux (Gallimard Jeunesse, 1996) and Mathématiques congolaises (2008), Congo Inc. Le Testament de Bismarck (2014 ; Congo Inc. Bismarck’s Testament, Indiana University Press, 2018) and La Belle de Casa (2018), all published by Actes Sud. In his work, he tackles the themes of globalization and social and political violence in post-colonial African societies, particularly in Central Africa.
 

• Nadia Yala Kisukidi, philosopher

Nadia Yala Kisukidi is lecturer in philosophy at the University of Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis. She was Vice-President of the Collège International de Philosophie (2014-2016) and Programme Director at the CIPh (2013-2019). Member of the editorial committee of the journal Critical Time (Duke University) and of the Cahiers d'études africaines (CNRS, Ehess), she is currently co-curator of the Yango II Biennale in Kinshasa, DRC, which will be held from 5 November to 5 December 2021. 
Nadia Yala Kisukidi is a specialist in contemporary French philosophy and Africana philosophy. She has published several books (individual or collective) and numerous articles.
 

• Ayoko Mensah, moderator

Ayoko Mensah is a cultural expert and artistic programmer. Since 2016, she has been working for the Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR) in Brussels. Of Togolese heritage, born in France in 1968, Mensah graduated in cultural management, literature and journalism in France. She has worked as an expert for several international organisations and cultural institutions (including UNESCO, the European Commission, the Africa Caribbean Pacific Group, AfricaMuseum,Tervuren). She has also written more than a hundred articles and co-authored several books.