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CONGO (BELGE)

On the 30th of June 2010, the Democratic Republic of Congo will celebrate its 50th anniversary since independence from Belgium. Belgian photographer Carl De Keyzer, decided to undertake the long journey to the Congo following the path set by the "Guide Du Voyageur du Congo Belge", published in 1954.

Over six years (2003 - 2009) he made several trips and he visited the places where there used to be factories, missions, prisons, mines, military sites and harbours built by the Belgians that, today, are now either ruins that litter the Congo or serve identical or different purposes.

The portrait of the country that De Keyzer found is quite tough. In fact, from Mobuto’s Zaire to the Hutu militias in eastern Congo, the history of the country has been one of civil war and corruption. In spite of that Carl says: "In the Congo I was surprised to see that people still manage to retain an incredible joie de vivre. When you visit these places, it is as if nothing has happened."

Carl De Keyzer’s approach diverges substantially from that of press photographers. His vision is personal, not objective and can raise questions rather than supply answers. "I like visitors to my exhibitions to ask questions on leaving them. My projects are more like essays, novels or films."