Notes

The present lot is in Brussels, Belgium. For shipping enquiries, please contact shipping@straussart.co.za. Please note that delivery costs and any additional import or other taxes are the responsibility of the buyer.

The DRC is one of the most resource-rich countries in the world, but it has been plagued by conflict. Paramilitary groups from Rwanda and Uganda have infiltrated the country, taking over towns to extract coltan and cobalt inexpensively. Funded by the West, these militants have created a situation characterised by extreme violence, with millions of internally displaced persons affected. The blue patina in the present lot is a subtle nod to the terrible consequences of cobalt mining and our society’s tendency to extract from, versus to respect and nurture, the environment and its people.

Disundi’s Déléstage (‘Detour’) draws attention to the most powerful hydrological dam: Inga. Inga can provide electricity and energy to the rest of the African continent, yet many nearby towns often experience power cuts. The centrality of Déléstage revolves around resource distribution and how electrical energy, which is vital for the existence and/or survival of people, is, in fact, a daily battle. The work also evaluates the perceived anarchy that has led to the proliferation of alternative modes of energy production such as; (a) generators for those who can afford it, (b) but also people who divert (therefore, steal) electrical cables from electrical poles, or (c) the battery of an electric car, especially in rural areas. One ought to bear in mind that resource distribution is seldom in favour of previously marginalised groups, particularly where forced displacement has taken place, rendering them the most vulnerable. Thus, Disundi terms his figures as the ‘nameless’; the people most affected by political, economic, social, and environmental changes, yet with no voice or power to change their situation.

Déléstage incorporates a carefully constructed ‘Nameless’ made from codfish cardboard. The impact of cod is hard to fathom, yet here it is at the heart of our universe. Numerous maritime expeditions, motivated by economic expansion, have left their mark on history. Discoveries, conquests, colonisation, slavery – so many events shared by people, with cod as a common denominator. Today, Disundi is developing a project that lays the foundations for his reflections by revisiting the birth and development of capitalism in our cultures through the history of cod. The artist’s exploration enables him to better understand the interrelationships between economics, history, and cultural impact.

This lot has been selected by Curatorial Voice: Camilla van Hoogstraten.

Exhibited

Scac Marestaing, Toulouse, Collective Amnesia, July 2021.