Jean Katambayi Mukendi: Ratio

Ratio is the first solo exhibition of Congolese artist Jean Katambayi Mukendi (b. 1974, DRC) in Germany.

Jean Katambayi Mukendi, Yllux, 2012. Installationsansicht in Kohta, Helsinki.

Constructed from locally sourced recycled materials, Mukendi’s sculptures engage with contemporary technological developments, ranging from the field of agriculture to military and robotics. His composite structures merge and transform machine functions, imaginatively exploring their ecological potential through recycling and repurposing. The artist’s drawings extend these inquiries, offering observations and speculative reflections on human experience in relation to ecology, economy, and language, among others.

The works featured in the show were created by Mukendi on site during a six-week residency at KW in fall 2025, using materials gathered from various locations in Berlin, such as KW’s storage and several of the city’s recycling yards. Spanning newly produced drawings and large-scale sculptures, RATIO addresses global structural inequities in resource extraction and power distribution, questioning the dualities that shape our world, between the natural and the artificial, growth and destruction.

The exhibition is co-produced by KW Institute for Contemporary Art and M HKA – Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp, Belgium, where it will be presented for its second iteration in summer 2026. It is accompanied by Circuits, Mukendi’s first monographic publication co-edited by Leuven University Press, KW and M HKA.

Curators: Emma Enderby & Linda Franken

Supported by KW Friends

In co-prodction with M HKA

Runtime: Sat, 21/02/2026 to Sun, 10/05/2026

Takes place here:

• KW - Institute for Contemporary Art