Léonard Pongo – Dialogue with the Source

Belgian-Congolese artist Léonard Pongo presents a spatial installation combining photography, video and textiles exploring the relationship between humans and the land. About What do you hear when you listen to the earth? Belgian-Congolese artist Léonard Pongo (1988) has been roaming the Democratic Republic of Congo for almost ten years, with this question in mind. He has developed a spatial installation specially for FOMU combining photography, video and textiles. Pongo's work is rooted in Congolese traditions, symbolism and philosophy. More than just mapping the territory, he seeks to make the experience tangible. Using modified full-spectrum cameras, he captures wavelengths that are invisible to the human eye. His approach produces images that are colourful and sometimes uncanny. They reveal the richness of Congo's natural environment, while reminding us that our gaze is always partial and subjective. Although people are absent from his photographs, the relationship between humans and the land lies at the heart of the work. During his journeys, Pongo collaborated with researchers and local communities whose stories and knowledge served as a key source of inspiration. A recurring motif is the banana tree a symbol of life, fertility and cyclical renewal. Léonard Pongo's work will be on show at this year's Venice Biennale and was previously exhibited at Tate Modern, London, and Biennale de Dakar, Senegal. In 2019 he participated in .tiff, FOMU's platform for emerging talent. His work is also represented in the FOMU collection. "Dialogue with the Source" is the result of Pongo's artistic research at Thinking Tools at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. The installation was designed in collaboration with Johnny Leya (Traumnovelle) and produced by FOMU with support from Auguste Orts, Kristof De Clercq Gallery, Parc National de l'Upemba ICCN-FPF, Plena Productions, and the Flemish Community. Read more Toggle Mixed media Photography Film / Video Installation