Picha Art Centre. Courtesy Picha
The independent art and research centre Picha, based in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, has launched a fundraising campaign after warning that rising operating costs and declining international funding are threatening the continuation of its activities.
Founded in 2008, Picha has played a central role in the Congolese contemporary art scene through exhibitions, research programmes, residencies and the organisation of the Lubumbashi Biennial, one of the continent’s longest-running contemporary art biennials.
The Lubumbashi Biennale has established itself as one of the most dynamic and experimental platforms for contemporary art on the African continent. Founded in 2008 by the Picha Association under the name Rencontres Picha, the biennial emerged from a desire to support artistic creation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo while fostering international dialogue through exhibitions, research, residencies, and public programmes. Rooted in the city of Lubumbashi and its complex histories of extraction, urbanisation, and cultural production, the Biennale has grown into a key meeting point for artists, curators, researchers, and cultural practitioners from across Africa and beyond.
According to the organisation, the funds will help cover operating costs, sustain artistic and research programmes, support public activities and prepare the 9th edition of the Biennial.
Since its inaugural edition, the Biennale has continually expanded its curatorial ambitions while remaining closely connected to the local context. Previous editions include Image en puissance (2008), directed by Picha; the second edition (2010) under the artistic direction of Simon Njami; Enthusiasm (2013), curated by Elvira Dyangani Ose; Réalités Filantes (2015), directed by Toma Muteba Luntumbue and Daniela Géo Di Sequeira; Éblouissements (2017), again under Toma Muteba Luntumbue; Future Genealogies: Tales from the Equatorial Line (2019), curated by Sandrine Colard; and ToxiCité / ToxiCity (2022), developed collaboratively by Picha with associate curators Paula Nascimento, Lucrezia Cipitelli, Bruno Leitão, René Francisco Rodríguez, and Mpho Matsipa. Across these editions, the Biennale has consistently explored the intersections of art, urban life, ecology, memory, and postcolonial realities, reinforcing its position as one of the leading voices in contemporary artistic discourse across the Global South.
More information via the link https://www.gofundme.com/f/picha-biennale-de-lubumbashi
