Sammy Baloji
Sammy Baloji (born in 1978 in Lubumbashi, DR Congo) lives and works between Lubumbashi and Brussels. In September 2019, he started his PhD within an artistic research project entitled “Contemporary Kasala and Lukasa: towards a Reconfiguration of Identity and Geopolitics” at Sint Lucas Antwerpen. Since 2005, Sammy Baloji has been exploring the memory and history of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
His work is an ongoing research on the cultural, architectural and industrial heritage of the Katanga region, as well as a questioning of the impact of Belgian colonization.
His use of photographic archives allows him to manipulate time and space, comparing ancient colonial narratives with contemporary economic imperialism. His video works, installations and photographic series highlight how identities are shaped, transformed, perverted and reinvented.
