Coltan, Cosmos and the Ancestors
Kongo Astronauts
Kongo Astronauts is an artist collective from Kinshasa founded by Michel Ekeba and Eléonore Hellio. Their work moves between film, performance, sculpture and music. A recurring figure runs through many of their works: the “spacewalker”, an astronaut wandering through the streets, rivers and forests of Congo. This character travels between worlds—between future and past, technology and ritual, science fiction and everyday reality.
In their films, technology is never separated from history and raw materials. Electronics, satellites and digital networks appear tied to mining, colonial infrastructures and global circuits of extraction. At the same time, other forms of knowledge and imagination emerge: rhythms, voices, masks, improvisation and collective rituals.
In this artist talk, four films by Kongo Astronauts will be screened:
Postcolonial Dilemna Track #3 (Unended), 2017, 7 mins
Postcolonial Dilemna Track #04 (Remix Mix), 2019, 15 mins
TranspatialIncidents: Rewind and Fast Forward, 2020, 12 mins
Waiting for the Sun, 2023, 5 mins
These four films present a universe in which multiple layers of time collide. Ruined industrial landscapes, abandoned plantations and tropical rivers become the setting for a cosmic journey. Figures move between debris, music, fire and water. Fragments of history meet speculative visions of the future.
In this artist talk, the Kongo Astronauts will also discuss Postcolonial Dilemna Track #05 (in the process of), 2021, the work that is part of the Techno-Ancestrality exhibition, on view at IMPAKT [Centre for Media Culture] from 8 April to 14 June.
What else is on Friday?
Check the timetable to visit more programmes with your Festival Pass (5-days) or Day Pass (1-day). With the passes you can also visit the festival exhibition Techno-Ancestrality at the IMPAKT [Centre for Media Culture] and BAK Basecamp.
Friday day pass 5-day festival pass
For more information on the festival tickets please see here
Image: Postcolonial Dilemna Track #3 (Unended)