With an atmosphere halfway between an art exhibition and a war zone, British artist Jonathan Darby‘s CONGO is a visually powerful and disturbing look at one of the world’s worst, yet mostly overlooked, tragedies.
Generations have lived in an almost constant state of conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly known as Zaire; it’s one of seven neighbouring countries whose warring has killed over five million people (the most since World War Two) and led to the largest UN peace-keeping mission ever. Surprised you haven’t heard more about it? So is Darby, who spends a lot of time in DRC working with his children’s charity AptART.
In CONGO, at White Walls gallery, San Francisco, the artist has created a massive installation of painting, photography, and audio-visual effects that immerses the viewer in the hellish environment from the point of view of the child, whose daily suffering is an issue close to Darby’s heart. Admission is free but you’ve only got a few days left to experience it – the exhibition ends on 8th December.
