Current
Sammy Baloji
Sammy Baloji’s participates in the inaugural edition of the Abu Dhabi Public Art Biennale with his work “Kombwelo 504″—a new piece created in collaboration with Jean Katambayi.
It is a 1:1 scale Peugeot 504 car — a 1970s and 80s status symbol for mining administrators-rendered in copper wire. The car references kombwelo, miniature wire cars crafted by Congolese children from discarded materials where commercial products are scarce. In Kombwelo 504 (2024) black irrigation tubes-reminiscent of Abu Dhabi’s irrigation systems-symbolise the lifeblood that sustains the desert city and transformation due to oil extraction. The work juxtaposes the Congo where resource extraction still shapes the land with Abu Dhabi’s relationship to water and oil, highlighting the connection between industry, environment, and survival in resource-driven economies.
