Kiluanji Kia HendaThe Fortress, 2014
The Fortress forms part of the series A City Called Mirage and serves as a reminder of the ephemeral nature of human constructions. The series is inspired by processes of erosion and transience that Kia Henda witnessed in the Angolan desert, culminating in an imaginary cityscape in which the artist investigates the idea of cities oscillating between the states of virtuality and desertification. Kia Henda uses science, mythological fiction and irony as ways to transcend the pessimism of hyper-criticism and the aesthetics of the ruin.
Kiluanji Kia Henda (b. 1979, Luanda, Angola) employs a surprising sense of humour in his practice, often homing in on themes of identity, politics and perceptions of postcolonialism and modernism in Africa. Practicing in the fields of photography, video, and performance, Kia Henda has tied his multidisciplinary approach to a sharp sense of criticality. In complicity with historical legacy, Kia Henda recognises processes of appropriation and manipulation of public spaces and structures, and the different representations that form part of collective memory.
