Loading...

Patrick Bongoy reinvents the wheel in Matter

Patrick Bongoy reinvents the wheel in Matter

Gallery MOMO is proud to present Matter, a solo exhibition by Patrick Bongoy. The exhibition consists of a series of new sculptures and tapestries constructed from red and black rubber and hessian cloth, materials which Bongoy uses to examine the past and present of his home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Matter draws out the history of rubber as a precious natural resource and its relationship to the colonial past of the DRC and its afterlives. The works reflect on the violent exploitation of labourers who harvest the material, as well as environmental damage that has occurred as a result. “Generations of my people are being used as part of the machinery that plunders and exports its treasures,” says Bongoy. The artist uses the material to address the trauma, erasure, forced migrations, the loss of cultures, and fragmented identities.

But, Bongoy does not see rubber as solely an oppressive tool. Matter sees Bongoy assign the charged material new meaning, imaginatively transforming its dark symbolism without erasing its history. “I am reshaping what in some ways has shaped me,” he says. “I am bringing life out of 'dead' matter.”

In this exhibition, Bongoy extends his visual vocabulary by introducing new interpretations of the rubber. He cuts letters and numbers from the rubber and integrates text into his tapestries. Bongoy continues to excavate the themes explored in his recent exhibitions Remains (2019) and Where are we? Where are we going? (2017), but on a much larger scale.

His work constitutes an intentional effort to remember, resurrect, and recreate life forms from the remains of environmental erosion and economic exploitation. Bongoy’s labour-intensive and socially-engaged practice examines the impact of mineral wealth both on the environment and on the lives of the people who unearth and harvest it.

ABOUT PATRICK BONGOY

Patrick Bongoy (b. 1980, Kinshasa, DRC) is a Cape Town-based artist working in rubber and transforming it into intricate sculptural works and installations. He graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts (2005) and the Academy of Fine Arts (2009), both in Kinshasa. This is Bongoy’s third solo exhibition in South Africa, followed by Where Are We? Where Are We Going? presented by EBONY/CURATED (2017), and Remains, presented by the Association for the Visual Arts (2019). He has also participated in several art fairs and group shows, such as Cape to Tehran at Gallery MOMO (2017) and Nando's presentation at 1:54 London (2017).

*The exhibition runs until 31 August 2019

Your Review

RATING

3658 VIEWS
0 Likes

Share To

Culture Reporter

Culture Reporter

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Why Cognac Is Not Brandy

Why Cognac Is Not Brandy

True to its French heritage, the bedrock of Martell's reputation is its profound legacy of craftsmanship and excellence, and the connoisseurs who recognise it. This is the view of Hussain van Roos, Martell Cognac Lifestyle Brand Ambassador for South Africa, who says that World Cognac Day is the perfect occasion to celebrate what makes this special brown spirit different from brandy.

A Letter to Azania

A Letter to Azania

Thandiswa Mazwai has been one of the most influential musicians on the South African music scene. She began her career in 1995 with Bongo Maffin, one of the pioneering bands of the Kwaito era. After 6 award-winning albums with Bongo Maffin she ventured onto a solo career.

Ezimpilo Mental Health Arts Festival

Ezimpilo Mental Health Arts Festival

The Ezimpilo Mental Health Arts Festival aims to establish a secure and all-encompassing environment where individuals impacted by mental health concerns can unite, exchange their stories, and find solace through artistic expression.

comments
Go to TOP