The Uncanny, by Belgian-Congolese photographer Léonard Pongo, is a visual interpretation of his experiences in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as he reconnects with his heritage and with the country’s current realities.
In 2011 Pongo traveled to the DRC to photograph the general election and its impact on society. He soon became aware of his difficulty, as a European-trained photographer, in defining which stories mattered, and in reconciling his preconceptions with the realities he encountered. His experiences helped him come to terms with the limits of photography to show ‘the truth’, as well as his own limitations in understanding bias, stereotypes and the country’s environment
Join Pongo as he presents the work from this long-term project, which culminated in his first book, The Uncanny.
Bio
Léonard Pongo (@leonardpongo) is a photographer and visual artist. He was born in Liège in 1988 and grew up in Belgium. The Uncanny has been exhibited at the Lagos Photo Festival; Templehof Airport, Berlin; the Beijing Photo Biennial; and other international venues. He was an artist-in-residence at Black Rock Senegal, the program founded by renowned artist Kehinde Wiley. Pongo teaches Documentary Photography at the Kinshasa Academy of Fine Arts (DRC).
Image: © Léonard Pongo
