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Jean Katambayi Mukendi’s state of mind is algorithmic. Typically using recycled materials, and based on complex calculations, Mukendi builds an alternative infrastructure in which science, technology, mythology and imagination come together to solve society’s problems. From his formative training as an electrician and his aptitude for mathematics, he has developed an oeuvre whose uniqueness finds its origins in Congolese life, where improbable situations can arise from a combination of failing infrastructure, neocolonialism and the inexhaustible creativity of people.

The Concentrator is based on the almost divine status of machines in the mining infrastructure in Mukendi’s hometown of Lubumbashi. These machines must always keep running, and in the event of problems with energy supply, they are therefore given priority over electricity for residential areas.