Raw Materials, Rituals, Resistance
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| Admission: free admission |
| Which languages: German |
| Venue: Mechanical Arena in the Foyer |
| Part of: SPÄTI |
What do the mobile phones in our pockets have to do with conflict and human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo? In his performance Kanzunji, Congolese artist Nada Tshibwabwa connects discarded mobile phones with spiritual traditions and the history of exploitation and violence. Kanzunji is a little-known figure from Baluba mythology, which Tshibwabwa reinterprets as the spirit of a person sacrificed in a conflict, wandering in search of peace.
Whether it is cobalt for smartphones or copper and gallium for the data centres that power artificial intelligence, the extraction of raw materials is closely linked to social and environmental conflicts and human rights violations around the world. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the consequences of extractivism are particularly visible and violent. This SPÄTI discussion explores the connections between resource extraction, global power relations, and human rights abuses.
Participants
Nada Tshibwabwa (* 1990, Lubumbashi, D. R. Congo) is a multidisciplinary artist from Kinshasa, working in painting, performance art, sculpture and music. His practice deals with the violence inherent in contemporary power relations, entangled with his own biography, addresses environmental issues, and sets out to create counter-narratives. He connects with ancestral artistic and social practices and focuses on their ability to restore balance in moments of crisis. Tshibwabwa reinvents these practices by infusing them with his own imagination and a repertoire of symbols that he expands as he works.
Jacob Häberli is a historian and area studies scholar based in Berlin. His work brings together questions of memory and cultural heritage with the history of resistance and processes of urbanisation. In 2023, together with Martin Baasch, he curated the public programme accompanying the exhibition “Geschichte(n) Tansanias” at the Humboldt Forum. Most recently, he worked for GIZ in political communications and stakeholder management.