Eunice Kamanda
Kinshasa Makambo
Europe, Germany, Leipzig
2018
Metal, iron; welded, mounted
Donation to the museum by Kamanda in 2019
MAf 36583
During her artist residency at the museum in 2018, Eunice Kamanda created the sculpture “Kinshasa Makambo.” With the sculpture, she addresses the role of women in society, whose full emancipation in the Congolese region still remains a distant dream for the artist. The liberation of women, as well as the liberation of the African continent, are her main goals.
This sculpture consists of padlocks and chains. For Kamanda they are allegories for what the inhabitants of Kinshasa experience on a daily basis. For example, there is no freedom of expression in Kinshasa, almost everything is obstructed. The keys located around the head of the statue fit the padlocks below. With them, the Congolese women are supposed to finally liberate themselves from the oppression of patriarchal structures. The sculpture can, thus, be interpreted as a sign of feminist resistance and empowerment.
Stefanie Bach