A textile with bright colors and varied patterns, wax fabric is instantly recognizable. Often perceived as “African,” this fabric has stood the test of time and crossed borders. For over a decade, its popularity in Western societies has been unprecedented—appearing in clothing, accessories, and household items. Wax fabric is becoming increasingly present in homes and wardrobes. Yet, its unique history remains largely unknown.
Presented outdoors in Tivoli Park, Sinzo Aanza’s series “The pedestral is a flowerpot” explores the invention of colonial art in Congo by contrasting precolonial artistic practices—folklorized and reinterpreted for colonial exhibitions—with a modernism that imposed order and control in service of the colonial project.