The writer and anthropologist Filip de Boeck has conducted extensive field research in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He describes the city of Kinshasa on the basis of two metaphorical elements: the hole and the mountain. The mountain metaphor is associated with its authoritarian, vigilant and ostensibly powerful colonial past. The hole metaphor refers to the post-colonial present of a megalopolis dominated by chaos and unable to offer its inhabitants the infrastructure they need for a decent life. The article is illustrated with photos by the photographer Sammy Baloji, who worked with the author on the project Suturing the City.
Living Together in Congo’s Urban Worlds (2016).