Mababu, Pamela Tulizo, 2025

Pamela Tulizo and Martin Masudi Lukongo will continue their research into the resistance and strength of African women, which started with the project 'Regards Croisé' in the previous residency at ICC in 2023 and VUB in 2024. The current project Mababu includes questions of representation, archive, and social transformation was further developed by Pamela and Martin in the context of their hometown of Goma. It draws on the long history of African kingdoms, the transatlantic slave trade, slavery, and colonization before reconnecting with the present. They are interested in historical women figures, such as Queen Nzinga and resistance fighter Kimpa Vita, but also in those of the present: bloggers, doers, and artists.

Pourquoi les femmes d'Afrique sont fortes? is not a theoretical question but an investigation across time and contexts that seeks to drive societal change. This commitment is part of Pamela Tulizo's practice: in addition to her artistic work, she is a journalist and runs a women's center in Goma: the Tulizo Elle Space.

During their stay in Belgium and the Netherlands, they intend to pursue their project, taking advantage of the archives and production conditions that will be available to them during this residency. The main focus will be on historical and contemporary resistant figures, artistic manipulation of images found in archives, and editorial work toward a publication.