Embodying Trash
Belgian photographer Colin Delfosse meets the Congolese performers bringing attention to environmental damage in Kinshasa.
“The 13 million inhabitants of Kinshasa generate a volume of 7000 tonnes of waste every day”, writes Colin Delfosse. After spending years documenting social, political and environmental issues in Congo, the photographer created the series “Fulu Act”, collaborating with performers who create costumes out of garbage to raise awareness about the challenges the city is facing.
Artist Tickson Mbuyi. Condom costume.
Artist Jared Kalenga. Radio’s spare parts costume.
Artist Hemock Kilombosh. Costume made of spare parts, inert engines, pipes.
Artist Jean Precy Numbi Samba. Car’s spare parts costume.
Artist Eddy Ekete. Can costume.
The performers stand quietly in the middle of the frame, wearing spectacular outfits made of plastic tubes, cans, condoms, wires, pill blisters. Their style winks at Afrofuturism but their surroundings are the ones of poor neighbourhoods, the hardest hit by the waste crisis because of the lack of infrastructures and a functioning sewage system. The title of the project refers to the word “Fulu”, meaning rubbish in Lingala language.
Artist Mosengo Longa Longa. Rubber costume.
Aristi Falonne Mambu. Electric wires costume.
Artist Abdoulaye Kinzonzi Kiakanda. Plastic bags costume.
Artist Florian Sinanduku. Pill costume.
Artist Florian Sinanduku. Syringe costume.
Artist Tickson Mbuyi. Watch costume.
Follow Colin Delfosse’s work on his
website.
