Sammy Baloji’s exhibition, “Echoes of History, Shadows of Progress,” at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens delves into the history of colonial violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The centerpiece of the exhibition is Baloji’s video “Aequare. The Future that Never Was,” which portrays the brutal extraction of resources in the DRC through the destruction of a majestic tree. The video juxtaposes archival footage from a Belgian agronomic research center with images of decaying colonial architecture, highlighting the exploitation and control of territories for economic gain.
One of Baloji’s works, “Shinkolobwe’s Abstraction,” explores the global impact of extractivism in the DRC, particularly focusing on the mining of uranium that was used in the American bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The artist uses screen prints to superimpose Congolese uranium samples over images of nuclear explosions, drawing attention to the interconnectedness of colonial and postcolonial violence.
In another installation, Baloji repurposes copper casements from World War II as flowerpots for plants from the DRC, symbolizing the transformation and circulation of Congo’s mineral resources through global networks of violence and repression. The artist skillfully weaves together themes of memory and forgetting, colonial histories and their erasures, through his use of archival research and materiality.
Baloji’s exploration of 17th- and 18th-century textiles from the Kongo Kingdom further emphasizes the decontextualization and commodification of local cultural forms through European taxonomies. By casting these textiles in copper and bronze, the artist memorializes and recontextualizes them as sculptures, revealing the enduring legacy of colonial exploitation and erasure.
Through his work, Baloji challenges viewers to confront the legacy of colonialism and the erasure of Congo’s people and history. By incorporating colonial archives and reinterpreting historical narratives, the artist sheds light on the lasting impact of imperialism on the present. “Echoes of History, Shadows of Progress” invites audiences to reflect on the complex layers of history and the ongoing repercussions of colonial violence.
The exhibition will be on display at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens until February 15, 2026, offering a thought-provoking exploration of the intersection of past and present in the context of colonialism and extractivism. Curated by Ioli Tzanetaki, the show challenges viewers to engage with the unsettling legacies of empire and the resilience of memory in the face of historical erasure.
