Spanning more than 20 square metres, Kiwanga's monumental carpet evokes Horta's visual language through floral motifs and curved lines. In addition to these formal references, Kiwanga's work also hints to the history of plants and power relationships. In her research-based approach, she often focuses on marginalised or forgotten histories. Her multi-faceted work explores the relationships between historical narratives and systems of power, and takes shape in meaningful materials.
Kiwanga develops what she calls 'exit strategies', works that invite visitors to look at things from different angles and find ways of approaching the future differently. Through her creations, Kapwani Kiwanga gives us food for thought about our relationship with the environment, and poetically exposes forgotten histories and disrupted power relations.
Flowers rooted in history
For Rootwork, Kiwanga delved into the archives of the Botanical Gardens of Meise. The plants represented on the carpet were chosen by the artist because of their role in the history between Belgium and the Congolese region. The rubber liana recalls the exploitation and commercialisation of natural resources, while the baobab flower evokes, among other things, the importance of social ties. Both species have pharmacological properties and make the link with Belgium and King Leopold II.
"The starting point is a reflection on botany and the way in which plants are partners in human history, as witnesses to historical events or as allies in a quest for liberation".
About the artist
Kapwani Kiwanga studied anthropology and religious sciences at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She attended the "La Seine" programme at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, then the Fresnoy – Studio national des arts contemporains in Tourcoing. Her films have twice been nominated for a BAFTA and she has won several awards at international festivals. She received the Frieze Artist Award and the Sobey Art Award in 2018, the Prix Marcel Duchamp in 2020 and the Zurich Art Prize in 2022. Her work has been exhibited all over the world and is internationally respected. In addition to Bozar, in 2023, she has also presented her works at the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, the CAPC Musée d'art contemporain de Bordeaux and, in 2024, at the Remai Modern Saskatoon and the Fundação de Serralves in Porto. She will also represent Canada at the Venice Biennale in 2024.
