Serge Diakota is an Installation Artist from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He currently resides in Kinshasa, ans has over 8 years’ experience as a visual artist with skills ranging from sculpting, painting and photography. Serge has also had various exhibitions in Kinshasa, Brussels, and many other places around the world.
Serge is the current Nafasi Artist in Residence. His work recent work uses discarded things to various political themes.
We sat down with him to ask him a few questions about his upcoming exhibition.
What can people expect from your show on 14th of June?
My show is an installation show. So I will be using everyday objects to create something new. It is called Metamorphosis. The word represents change and work will be addressing change: physical change, mental change, psychological change.
Change from what exactly? Or to what?
The idea started when I thinking about how much people are restricted by society, by money, by politics. All these restrictions create a lack a of hope….So I am creating a parallel. The work I do uses rubbish and discarded things. Things that have been thrown away…I give them a second life…transform them into something different. So for me Metamorphosis represents a second life. The hope of becoming something different and better.
Did this idea come to you recently? Or has it been there a long time?
Tanzania is the first place I have been in Africa outside of Congo. I came here because the people are more open. And friendly. I also know that traveling helps a person think differently. So the idea came from meeting and talking with people in my travel so far, here in Tanzania.
Can you tell us what materials we can expect to see exhibition? What materials you will use?
The work is still going. But at the moment in the show you willl see a lot of chairs. I have transformed some to something else. The change in the chair can be seen two ways. The chair can represent calm and repose. So the to use chairs as art is to show the rest people can enjoy in their second life. But also chairs are very low. To put them high, in a gallery, is to show the kind of change that can happen…the hope that can come when something in seen in a different way.
Serge will be at Nafasi until 15th June. His exhibition, Metamorphosis, opens Thursday 14th June. All are welcome.