Léonard Pongo

Belgian Congolese artist and filmmaker Léonard Pongo’s Tales from the Source transforms the landscapes of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) using multispectral imaging technologies more commonly associated with scientific research. He combines the visuals with an immersive original score by Bear Bones, Lay Low, the experimental music project of Venezuelan-born, Belgium-based artist Ernesto González. The film unfolds as a sensory dialogue between image, sound, and landscape.

Tales from the Source offers a meditation on land, memory, and perception, drawing inspiration from Congolese stories and traditions. Forests, rivers, and terrain become a living presence that feels ageless, complex, and imbued with knowledge and imagination. The film continues Pongo’s broader artistic practice, which frequently examines the social and political realities of contemporary DRC while resisting reductive narratives of conflict or crisis. (39 mins., HD video)

This presentation also connects to the work of Sammy Baloji, whose exhibition is on view at the Wex through February 14, 2027. Both artists share an interest in the legacies of colonialism and the ways that land bears the traces of labor, industry, and displacement. The film was produced by Twenty Nine Studio & Production, the Brussels-based production company founded by Baloji that supports artist-driven moving-image work engaging with the histories and cultural memory of Central Africa.