I Dream of Congo

All Works

1 Apr

Narratives from the Great Lakes

About the Project

“There is a need to dream that the three year old I walked with in the displaced camp, under the shadow of the volcano this morning, will have a safer, more stable and happier life than her mother and father. There is a need to dream, because without the dream, the future is unthinkable.” -Marcus Bleasdale

ART WORKS Projects was excited to guest curate the exhibit I Dream of Congo, produced by Congo Connect, a UK-based group of individuals who are working to raise hope for eastern Congo. Congo Connect’s exhibition I Dream of Congo: Narratives from the Great Lakes is a unique exhibition combining words and images from renowned international creatives alongside a groundbreaking exhibition of photos taken by women in eastern Congo. Contributors have all responded to the phrase ‘I Dream of Congo’ to create images and stories of their dream for the region. The installation includes large, printed images from photojournalists, panels of writing, and photographs and ‘dreams’ written by women living in eastern Congo (DRC).

Today, Congo (DRC) is faced with internal conflicts, a severe food crisis and the internal displacement of nearly 5.5 million people. Civilians are in danger of violence from armed groups and state military, despite martial law being imposed in certain provinces and military operations, civilians are not being protected from this violence. This exhibit is focused on the Great Lakes region of Congo, and today this region is plagued with violence and human rights violations. I Dream of Congo highlights the hopes and dreams that women have for their country, and can raise awareness about the current issues facing Congo (DRC).

Photographers

Lynsey Addario
Marcus Bleasdale
Michael Christopher Brown
Tim Butcher
Jean Chung
Ron Haviv
Fiona Lloyd-Davis
Dominic Nahr
Jehad Nga
Jonathan Torgovnik

Photos were also taken by women living in eastern Congo

Writers

JJ BolaWilliam Boyd
Stella Feehily
Adam Hochschild
Phil Moore
Ben Rawlence
Jeffrey Tayler
Michela Wrong

about the artist

The opening of I Dream of Congo was held at Conway Hall in London, UK on February 12th, 2012.

The exhibit was later shown at a conference at St. Andrews University (Scotland) the National Slavery Museum (Liverpool, UK), and the Excel Centre (London, UK).

Public Programs

All of our exhibitions are designed to tour and can be adapted to a broad spectrum of venue types and sizes.
We are happy to provide step-by-step support for hosting this exhibit.
Contact us to learn more about bringing this exhibit to your community.