Sammy Baloji: Le Père Sauvage – A Poetic Memento of K(C)ongo

Congolese artist Sammy Baloji brings together three artists for an evening of sound and visuals, with new music inspired by 1970s Pan-Africanism and Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness. Visual artist Sammy Baloji works with photography, video, and installation to explore memory, history, and colonial legacies, combining archival and contemporary images to reveal untold stories. This immersive performance unfolds in three acts, reimagining the traditional concert experience through shifting perspectives of sound and space. Part I features Szymon Brzóska’s composition for trumpet, cello, and piano, inspired by Heart of Darkness (1899). Part II presents Pytshens Kambilo’s ensemble work drawing on 1970s Pan-Africanism. In the final act, Satch Hoyt performs a sound cartography from the Hall’s balcony, inverting the traditional concert experience. By blending electric flute and percussion with contemporary synthesised sounds and antique African instruments, he traces the journeys of Black people across the Atlantic. Creative Team Sammy Baloji Artistic Direction Minne De Meyer Engelbeen Set Designer Philippe Demeestere Light Designer Benoît de Leersnyder Artistic Advisor Leen Stoffels Costume designer