• Art & (De)colonisation

As a collective of both African and European artists, we explore how bearing witness to one another’s stories and creative processes - and giving them form through artistic expression - can serve as catalysts in the journey of decolonial awareness.

In 1897, during the World Exhibition, 267 Congolese individuals were forcibly displayed in the park of Tervuren (B) as a human zoo. Two of them did not survive the journey; seven others died during the exhibition and were buried locally. Their graves now lie beside the Church of St John the Evangelist in Tervuren. This historical event forms the initial focus of our project. Furthermore, we aim to foster a broader dialogue around colonisation and its legacy. We begin by sharing our own stories and experiences.

In April 2025, a ritual performance took place beneath a linden tree, one of the park’s oldest living witnesses. We entered into dialogue with this tree, a witness of history, sharing stories of colonisation. An imprint of its weathered bark serves as a lasting memory of this and the tree’s turbulent history.

Further steps in this project are currently in development.
Members: Charles Djeumou, Moïse Ilunga, Freddy Tsimba, Sylvia Wesemael, Lies Daenen