Raccord #1, Cité de Kawama

The Democratic Republic of Congo is “a geological scandal”—a country with one of the richest mineral deposits in the world, whose profits from excavation hardly benefit its population. Sammy Baloji photographs his native province of Katanga, a mineral-rich area that is home to artisanal mining on a huge scale. The tarpaulin homes of the miners are decorated with kitsch posters made in China, which depict images of Western or Asian cities, and real or touched-up landscapes that suggest a utopian world. By photographing the desolate mine landscapes of his homeland and pairing them with these idyllic scenes, Baloji creates an uncomfortable contrast.