The Uncanny is a long-term photography project shot in the Democratic Republic of the Congo around the provinces of Kinshasa, Katanga, and in the Greater Kasai region. Léonard Pongo began the project in 2011 and it remains ongoing.
How to View
During the day, The Uncanny can be viewed on monitors inside the ICP Museum and during evening hours, images are literally “projected” onto the windows of the ICP Museum; they can be viewed from the sidewalk outside the Museum and are most visible after sunset. Learn more about Projected.
About the Artist
Léonard Pongo (Belgium, 1988) is a documentary photographer working on daily life stories in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2011, he started working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo documenting life in the cities of Kinshasa and Kananga during the country's second democratic elections since independence. In 2013, he returned to the Congo mining city of Lubumbashi to continue his work, collaborating with local TV news to create a personal vision of the country based on the small-scale events that rhythm the local life. In 2014, he won the CAP prize for Africa for his project in DRC, The Uncanny, and exhibited his work in Basel, Vienna, Addis Ababa, Dublin, Lagos, Cape Town, and Mindelo. In 2015, he was exhibited in the Netherlands at Noorderlicht photo festival, and in 2016 he received the Belgian “Vocatio” Grant for his work in the Congo. His short movie The Necessary Evil was displayed in museums and festivals in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Cambodia. He joined NOOR in 2017 as nominee and received the 2017 Visura Grant for Outstanding Personal Project to continue his long-term project in the DRC. Léonard Pongo is a frequent lecturer and workshop tutor. He is currently based between Belgium and the Congo.