In a solo exhibition « Watermarks, silent traces », the Congolese multidisciplinary artist Michèle Magema shows through new works the situation of the Congolese diaspora in the 90s. She is inspired by the personal stories of the diaspora and highlights the strong aspiration, their homeland and the hope to return one day; while taking her experience as a starting point.
« Watermarks, silent traces » is an exhibition that highlights photographs that inform the shared life of his compatriots abroad with images that trace the daily life, intimacy and collaboration while questioning the notion of collective intimacy of the diaspora. The artist addresses the underbelly of behaviors and acts born of the socio-political situation of the former Zaire. She also questions, through drawings, photographs and installations, the political, cultural and economic reasons for leaving her country at the time.
It is a kind of exploration that presents the shared stories without publishing them entirely, a link between historical facts and archives. This creates a space for new stories.
Multidisciplinary artist Michèle Magema
Born in 1977 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Michèle Magema moved to Paris in 1984 with her family, who were political refugees at the time.
After obtaining a higher national diploma in plastic expression, she was selected for a residency at Kaywon University in Seoul, South Korea.
Michèle Magema began her career as a painter, then moved on to other mediums such as drawing, photography and installations. She participated in the exhibition « Africa Remix » which showed her work from 2004 to 2007, in Düsseldorf, London, Paris, Johannesburg, and Tokyo, she was also present in the exhibition « Global Feminisms », at the Brooklyn Museum and was selected in 2003 at the Biennale of Bamako, then in 2004 at the Biennale of Dakar where she will be awarded with her video « Oyé Oyé ». « Watermarks, silent traces » is on stage until July 11, 2021 at the Kunsthal Extra City‘s chapel space in Belgium.
