What do you hear when you listen to the earth? For nearly a decade, Belgian-Congolese artist Léonard Pongo (1988) has travelled across the Democratic Republic of the Congo guided by this question. Created especially for FOMU, Dialogue with the Source is an immersive installation that brings together photography, video, and textiles.

Pongo’s work is rooted in Congolese traditions, symbolism, and philosophy. Rather than mapping the country, he seeks to evoke the experience of it. Using modified full-spectrum cameras, he captures wavelengths of light that remain invisible to the human eye. The resulting images are vivid, otherworldly, and richly coloured. They reveal the abundance of the Congolese landscape while also reminding us that every way of seeing is partial and deeply personal.

There are no people in Pongo’s photographs. Yet the relationship between humans and the land lies at the heart of his work. During his journeys, he collaborates with researchers and local communities, whose stories and knowledge are an important source of inspiration. A recurring motif is the banana tree, a symbol of life, fertility, and cyclical renewal.

This year, Léonard Pongo’s work is on view at the Venice Biennale and has previously been exhibited at institutions including Tate Modern in London and Jeu de Paume in Paris. In 2019, he participated in .tiff, FOMU’s platform for emerging talent. His work is also part of the FOMU collection.

Dialogue with the Source is the outcome of Pongo’s artistic research at Thinking Tools, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. The installation was designed in collaboration with Johnny Leya (Traumnovelle) and produced by FOMU with the support of Auguste Orts, Kristof De Clercq Gallery, Parc National de l’Upemba (ICCN-FPF), and the Flemish Community.

Artists: Léonard Pongo