Raw materials, rituals, resistance

What do the cell phones in our pockets have to do with conflicts and human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo? In his performance Kanzunji, Congolese artist Nada Tshibwabwa combines discarded mobile phones with spiritual traditions and the history of exploitation and violence. Kanzunji is a little-known figure from Baluba mythology, which he reinterprets: the spirit of a person who was sacrificed in conflict and is in search of peace.

Whether cobalt for smartphones or copper and gallium for artificial intelligence data centers: The mining of raw materials is associated with social and ecological conflicts and human rights violations worldwide. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the consequences of extractivism are particularly clear and violent. In conversation, this SPÄTI highlights the connections between raw material mining, global power relations and violations of human rights.