Congolese artist Jean Katambayi Mukendi has long captivated audiences with his innovative explorations of technology and resource inequities. Best known for his ongoing “Afrolampe” series starting in 2016, which features intricate ink drawings merging the classic lightbulb form with elements of geometry and astronomy, Mukendi highlights the persistent challenges of unreliable electricity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Despite the country’s role as a major supplier of essential minerals like cobalt—vital for batteries and modern electronics—many regions still face frequent power outages. In response, Mukendi crafts his own symbolic solutions, underscoring the irony of a resource-rich nation grappling with basic utilities.
For his latest solo exhibition titled “RATIO,” set to open on February 21, 2026, at Berlin’s KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Mukendi expands this inventive ethos. The show, which will later travel to Antwerp’s M HKA in the summer of 2026, features expansive paintings and a fresh collection of sculptures that reimagine everyday technologies such as airplanes, drones, smartphones, and other gadgets. Constructed from scavenged materials in his temporary Berlin studio, these vibrant, enigmatic creations challenge the standardized, automated nature of tech production, inviting viewers to ponder alternative possibilities in a world dominated by uniformity.
The exhibition’s title, “RATIO,” draws from economic concepts of balance but is recontextualized by Mukendi to address the DRC’s mineral-driven conflicts. He weaves themes of customs, electronics, space exploration, and resource extraction into his work, urging a deeper reflection on global interdependencies. Mukendi emphasizes the need to look beyond the surface of devices like phones—encouraging young people to consider the “back” where countless ideas and labors converge. He positions his art as a personal contribution to the world, stressing that everyone must add their unique input to achieve true equilibrium.
In preparing for “RATIO,” Mukendi created around 50 drawings on A1 paper back in the DRC, selecting and integrating them with new pieces made during his six-week Berlin residency. These drawings shift from the direct lightbulb motifs of “Afrolampe,” though one notable exception incorporates Benjamin Franklin’s signature—symbolizing electricity and Enlightenment-era power dynamics—trapped within a lightbulb’s filament. This black-and-white piece critiques historical imbalances, hinting at uncredited contributions from enslaved individuals to Franklin’s inventions, while spotlighting how such legacies perpetuate geopolitical divides.
A centerpiece of the exhibition is a massive triptych painting divided into three colorful panels. The first critiques monoculture and homogenized ideologies imposed by institutions like the church, politics, and ongoing conflicts. The second draws from electronic schematics, pointing to how tech industries fuel global strife. The third, a textured “scratch” painting called “vita,” divides the canvas into four sections representing the seasons—summer, autumn, winter, and spring—to evoke climate evolution and explosive growth. A prominent cross motif serves as a drone’s targeting reticle, evoking images from conflicts like those in Gaza, while also symbolizing the intersection of the equator and meridian lines, blending geography with themes of destruction and vegetation.
Mukendi’s work also delves into the DRC’s colonial legacy, where societal structures hinder progress. Without reliable state-provided electricity, water, or energy, discussions of potential advancements are stifled by influences from religion, authority figures, and politics. As an artist unbound by administrative ties—interacting with the state mainly through airports—Mukendi maintains a detached perspective, using his practice to envision societal alternatives and foster critical dialogue.
Among the sculptures, an airplane titled “MukendiKabongoAirHybirdWingsRDC26FG” stands out, built from recycled bicycle wheels and other found parts with collaborative assistance. This complex machine reflects on warfare’s machinery—aircraft, missiles, and drones—while contemplating post-conflict needs, like detecting unexploded ordnance. Designed for easy disassembly due to the studio’s limited access, it embodies rapid recyclability, urging consideration of war’s aftermath beyond immediate destruction.
Another series focuses on currency, including a drawing and a large-scale sculpture named “likuta,” honoring the DRC’s coins from the 1960s and 1970s. In a nation that supplies the world’s minerals yet lacks its own coinage—relying solely on paper money—Mukendi views coins as symbols of prestige and lost sovereignty, highlighting absurd disparities in global resource flows.
Throughout the exhibition, Mukendi maximizes his Berlin residency by experimenting with materials: opting for recycled wood over his usual cardboard, attaching canvases to sculptural objects for dynamic shapes, and adding wheels for mobility. He titles works using Congolese and African terms, such as “isitini” (Zulu for brick oven) and “kibiri” (Swahili and Lubumbashi dialect for brick-making), noting linguistic connections across the continent to underscore shared cultural threads.
Finally, “RATIO” ties into broader reflections on technology’s acceleration, including artificial intelligence—evident in the title’s letters “a” and “i.” Mukendi contrasts AI with longstanding natural intelligence, questioning its “artificial” nature from an African viewpoint where basic infrastructure lags amid global space ambitions. Living firmly on Earth, he critiques this temporal disconnect, advocating for balanced development that includes marginalized perspectives in the rush toward innovation.
