At the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, the Pavilion of the Democratic Republic of Congo asserts itself as one of the most conceptually layered and philosophically charged national presentations of this edition. Titled Simba Moto! Seize the Fire! Saisis le feu!, the pavilion unfolds as a powerful meditation on transformation—one that resists the immediacy and spectacle often associated with global exhibitions in favor of a slower, more immersive encounter with matter, memory, and imagination. Presented by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage of the Democratic Republic of Congo and commissioned by Cindy Makiana, the project marks a significant and symbolic moment for Congolese contemporary art, positioning it not simply within global discourse but as an active force reshaping it. Installed within the Antico Refettorio of the Scuola Grande di San Marco—a site historically embedded in layers of art, knowledge, and institutional memory—the pavilion situates itself at the intersection of history and possibility, where past narratives are neither fixed nor closed, but continuously reworked through contemporary artistic practices.
Curated by philosopher Nadia Yala Kisukidi in collaboration with the MOKO collective—a multidisciplinary curatorial formation bringing together Aimé Mpané, Jean Kamba, and Johnny Leya—the pavilion adopts a deliberately collective and interdisciplinary approach that reflects the complexity of Congolese artistic production today. Bringing together nine artists from the Democratic Republic of Congo and its diaspora—Sammy Baloji, Arlette Bashizi, Patrick Bongoy, Damso, Gosette Lubondo, Nelson Makengo, Aimé Mpané, Léonard Pongo, and Géraldine Tobé—the exhibition constructs a multi-vocal environment where practices intersect, diverge, and resonate across mediums and contexts. Rather than presenting a unified narrative, the pavilion foregrounds multiplicity, allowing different artistic languages to coexist and interact within a shared conceptual framework. This approach not only reflects the diversity of Congolese artistic expression but also challenges reductive readings of African contemporary art, insisting instead on its internal complexity, its philosophical depth, and its capacity to generate new modes of thinking.
At the heart of the pavilion lies a profound engagement with the symbolic and material dimensions of fire. Drawing from Congolese cosmologies, the curatorial framework positions fire alongside the sun and the forge as foundational elements of creation—forces that simultaneously destroy, transform, and generate new forms of existence. This triadic relationship operates not only as a conceptual anchor but as a guiding principle that shapes the entire exhibition. Fire is understood here not as spectacle or catastrophe, but as a generative energy—one that, when harnessed, becomes a tool for reimagining the world. The act of “seizing the fire,” as articulated in the pavilion’s title, thus becomes both a poetic and political gesture: a call to reclaim agency, to engage actively with the forces that shape our realities, and to participate in the ongoing process of creation and transformation.
The pavilion’s spatial design reinforces this conceptual framework, unfolding as a carefully constructed “forge” in which visitors are invited to move, feel, and participate rather than simply observe. Designed by Traumnovelle, the scenography introduces a central installation where sculptural bodies rest upon a breathing surface that rises and falls in a slow, rhythmic motion. This subtle yet powerful gesture establishes a shared temporal experience within the space, aligning the physical presence of visitors with the internal rhythm of the installation. The environment becomes not just a container for artworks but an active participant in the exhibition, shaping perception through movement, sound, and atmosphere. It is within this space that the boundaries between artwork, viewer, and environment begin to dissolve, creating a condition of heightened awareness and sensitivity.
Architecture plays an equally critical role in structuring the experience. The pavilion is conceived as an oblong cylindrical space clad in reflective metal, its surfaces capturing and amplifying light, shadow, and movement to create a continuous field of visual and sensory interaction. Above, a circular opening punctures the ceiling, allowing air, light, and smoke to circulate freely, reinforcing the pavilion’s engagement with elemental forces and cyclical processes. This architectural configuration establishes a dialogue between interior and exterior, between containment and openness, situating the pavilion as a space of transition rather than enclosure. It becomes a site where different states—material and immaterial, visible and invisible—coexist and interact.
Within this environment, the pavilion operates as an echo chamber, where sound, movement, and presence are continuously reflected and reconfigured. Footsteps resonate across the metallic surfaces, shadows stretch and dissolve, and smoke drifts through the space, creating a dynamic interplay of sensory elements that destabilize conventional modes of perception. Visitors are encouraged to follow traces rather than fixed paths, to engage with the space intuitively rather than analytically. This approach transforms the act of viewing into an embodied experience, where meaning emerges not through explanation but through encounter.
The notion of the pavilion as a “living archive” further deepens this experiential dimension. Rather than presenting a linear narrative, the exhibition assembles fragments—images, gestures, materials—that evoke histories both real and imagined. Along the perimeter, visual elements appear as remnants of rituals, suggesting narratives that resist easy categorization or resolution. These fragments operate as points of entry into a broader field of meaning, inviting viewers to construct their own connections and interpretations. The archive, in this sense, is not static but dynamic—continuously shaped by the interactions between artworks, space, and audience.
The individual contributions of the artists expand and complicate this framework, each bringing a distinct perspective while remaining connected to the pavilion’s overarching themes. Sammy Baloji’s work interrogates the entangled histories of colonialism, extraction, and modernity, revealing how these forces continue to shape contemporary realities. Gosette Lubondo constructs imagined narratives within abandoned spaces, transforming absence into a site of possibility. Patrick Bongoy engages with environmental and political histories through the use of recycled materials, while Aimé Mpané explores the lingering effects of colonial violence through deeply material and symbolic processes.
Other artists extend the pavilion’s sensory and conceptual reach. Nelson Makengo’s video installations weave together spirituality, urban experience, and political imagination, creating immersive narratives that blur the boundaries between documentary and fiction. Arlette Bashizi’s photographic practice documents the complexities of life in eastern Congo, foregrounding issues of conflict, resilience, and survival. Léonard Pongo challenges traditional photographic representation, seeking to reveal what lies beyond the visible surface. Géraldine Tobé transforms personal trauma into a haunting visual language through her use of smoke as material, while Damso introduces a new dimension through installation, expanding his practice beyond music into spatial and conceptual territory.
Together, these practices form a complex and interconnected system, resisting singular interpretation and instead embracing multiplicity and contradiction. The pavilion does not seek to resolve these tensions but to hold them, allowing different voices and perspectives to coexist within a shared space. This approach reflects the ethos of the MOKO collective, which emphasizes continuity, reinvention, and the dynamic nature of Congolese artistic production.
Within the broader context of the Biennale, the DRC Pavilion stands out for its refusal to conform to dominant exhibition strategies centered on visibility and immediacy. Instead, it proposes an alternative mode of engagement—one that prioritizes duration, attention, and transformation. In alignment with Koyo Kouoh’s In Minor Keys, the pavilion demonstrates how subtle gestures can carry immense weight, and how meaning can emerge through accumulation rather than declaration.
Ultimately, Simba Moto! Seize the Fire! Saisis le feu! operates as both an exhibition and an invitation—one that calls on viewers to engage actively with the forces that shape their perception and understanding. It challenges conventional distinctions between observer and participant, object and environment, art and life. In doing so, it redefines what a national pavilion can be—not a static representation of identity, but a dynamic, evolving space of imagination, transformation, and collective possibility.
In Venice, where the weight of history often frames contemporary practice, the Democratic Republic of Congo offers something both grounded and expansive: a pavilion that does not simply present art, but activates it. Through fire—held, shared, and transformed—it proposes a new way of seeing, thinking, and being in the world.
