The creative and arts scene of the Democratic Republic of Congo has much to discover, and thanks to Acud Macht Neu you can dive into it right here in Berlin. The cultural collective is welcoming artists, academics and musicians from the DRC for Laboratoire Kontempo, a program of concerts, talks and exhibitions with some of the capital Kinshasa’s most innovative creators. Events continue tonight (05.05.2022) with an evening of talks offering an insight into the Kinshasa art scene, including “Partagisme” – a collective way of creating art found in the city. Meanwhile, this Saturday (07.05) Acud’s club and courtyard will host a lecture and performance about the colonial pasts of both Kinshasa and Berlin, plus some Congolese cuisine to try. Critical perspectives feature throughout the program, such as the concert and talk from pianist-songwriter David Shongo, who deals with the topic of the importation of second-hand electronics from Europe to the DRC (17.05). The music continues on 20.05 with Balade Musicale, a concert that dives into the history of Congolese music through the genre of hip-hop. You can view the full program – which also includes exhibitions at Haus der Statistik – online.
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: Ephraim Baku, James Bantone & Nyangombe
Acud Macht Neu, Veteranenstr.21, 10119 Berlin–Mitte; map
Laboratoire Kontempo runs until 25.06.2022. For the full program visit the website.
@acudmachtneu
@laboratoire.kontempo
