Ariel Kasongo is a visual artist and photographer based in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from the Lubumbashi Institute of Fine Arts (2016) and in Design and Multimedia (2021), and is fully engaged in both the local and international art scenes. His involvement is reflected through participation in group exhibitions and collaborations with renowned artists. In 2017, he notably worked as an assistant to the artist Eddy Masumbuko during the 5th edition of the Lubumbashi Biennale of Contemporary Arts. In 2019, Ariel Kasongo was selected to participate in the Picha workshops, an artistic training program organized by the Picha Art Center. There, he benefited from the guidance of Lucrezia Cippitelli and from interventions by national and international artists such as Sammy Balogi, George Nsenga, and Patrick Kalapo (Media Workshop, South Africa). In 2022, he participated in the Lubumbashi Biennale as an artist, presenting his project Nguzo (Meeting of the Pillars). This work explores the archives of the first city of Lubumbashi, dating back to the colonial era, reflecting his interest in history and collective memory. Currently, he continues his research, developing his artistic practice every day and seeking to offer a new way of seeing the world through his sole means of expression: photography.

Trancite



In the Haut-Katanga province, in Lubumbashi, a hidden reality lies behind the shine of copper. Mountains of mining waste, remnants of past industrial exploitation, stretch as far as the eye can see, bearing witness to silent pollution. The former Gécamines factory, once a pinnacle of the Congolese mining industry, left behind a toxic legacy: heavy metals that contaminate the soil, air, and water, threatening the health of the surrounding population. Just a few meters from these waste mountains, men, women, and children live, work, and struggle for survival. They are the forgotten ones of growth, the victims of progress that left behind gaping scars. The project is intended as a photographic immersion into this fragile daily life, an exploration of human resilience in the face of adversity. Beyond the waste, there are lives that persist, communities that organize, families fighting for a better future. This documentary project is not limited to denouncing pollution and its consequences. It seeks to make the invisible visible, to give a voice to those who live daily with the scars of the mining industry. It aims to testify to their courage, ingenuity, and their ability to transform a hostile environment into a place of life. TRANCITE is a committed artistic project, an invitation to reflect on our collective responsibility in the face of environmental and social challenges. It is a call to action, encouraging the construction of a future where economic development does not come at the expense of the health and well-being of the population.