Ekeba Michel

Michel Ekeba was born in 1984 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A graduate of the Kinshasa Academy of Fine Arts in Visual Communication, he founded the BACK DESIGN label. His work includes performances, films, texts, photos and installations developed with the collective KONGO ASTRONAUTS, which he initiated with artist Eléonore Hellio. Stimulated by the Hip Hop movement and the urban cultures of the world’s megacities at the end of the 90s, he practices rap poetry. To free himself from the social violence he faced, he took his flow to the streets and gradually introduced visual elements. The result was a series of urban performances. His best-known performance series is that of the “astronaut”. Often spontaneous appearances, they question the concept of exile and the dream of other worlds. His work is featured in numerous exhibitions, including disCONNECTED 2020 in Germany in 2020, the Lumumbashi Biennale in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2019, and Kinshasa Chroniques at the Cité de l’architecture in Paris in 2020. He is a member of the agency of artists in exile.