Past Imperfect: Congolese Painting at Garage
A new exhibition shows the heavy influence of colonialism on Central African art
Works such as ‘Belgian Colony’ by Tshibumba Kanda Matalu are an attempt to process the harrowing experience of the colonial era. ROYAL MUSEUM FOR CENTRAL AFRICA, TERVUREN
In his 1899 classic “Heart of Darkness,” British-Polish novelist Joseph Conrad recounts the tale of a captain who travels up the Congo River in search of a European ivory trader named Kurtz. He discovers the Westerner has, in fact, embarked on a spree of abuse, beating and decapitating native Congolese.
Although a work of fiction, it drew heavily on Conrad’s experiences in the region and was one of the first accounts of colonial atrocities in the Congo Free State (later the Belgian Congo), a giant territory at the heart of Africa claimed by King Leopold II of Belgium in 1885.
Conrad’s novel is notable for exposing the appalling treatment and summary executions meted out to the native population by the colonists. But “Heart of Darkness” nonetheless remains a controversial work in Africa, since it is told from a European perspective that views Africans in simplified, prejudiced terms.
Continued: https://themoscowtimes.com/articles/past-imperfect-congolese-painting-at-garage-58168
Joseph Conrad's book is surely online. I read it a number of years ago. "Heart of Darkness".
