Garbage puppets: From trash to activism

DW (English)

In Kinshasa, DRC where toxic waste defines daily life, art becomes the weapon of this forgotten community. Artist Pape Noir and his crew fight back with trash, turning pollution into powerful afro-futurist sculptures. They transform their poisoned streets into a bold protest gallery while demanding justice, dignity, and a cleaner future.

Transcript

00:00In Kinshasa's limited district, toxic waste lines the streets and cloaks the waterways.

00:06A lot of it ends up in the Njili River, the city's main source of drinking water.

00:11Now the river is so full of waste it spills over, cutting off roads and disrupting daily

00:16life for residents.

00:18In the middle of this chaos sails a local legend, Mitsukilomboshi Lukumbi Henok, better

00:23known as Pap Noir or the Black Pope.

00:26Like a Congolese Jack Sparrow, he navigates the mocky waters of Njili as an artist on

00:31a mission.

00:32From his boat, he shows us the creative resistance emerging from a community drowning in waste.

00:38My name is Pap Noir, I'm a plastic artist and I live in the Limete commune in the Ndano

00:45Industrial District.

00:48This commune is called Limete Industrial because of all the industries that produce biscuits,

00:53candies, soap, beauty milk and paper are located here in Limete Industrial where I live.

01:04After each rain, rising waters flood these riverside dwellings.

01:08Pap Noir treads through the water on his way back as he shares the history of his neighbourhood.

01:13Back then, there were fields here.

01:17We grew rice because here it's a marshy area.

01:21It was only in 1982 or 1983 that disaster victims, originally from Kingabwa neighbourhood

01:28and victims of floods, asked former President Mobutu for permission to settle here.

01:34With little help from the government and toxic pollution from nearby factories, the neighbourhood

01:41is struggling.

01:42Yet new families keep arriving.

01:45With no space below, people are forced to live on rooftops.

01:48Faced with this reality, Pap Noir chose art as a means of expression.

01:53Through bold, provocative art, he exposes the harsh realities of life in Limete to demand

01:58change for the community.

01:59I live next to an iron bar production company.

02:04Often, they buy end-of-life cars.

02:07They only recover the iron from the vehicles.

02:10The rest of the waste, like plastic, is thrown into the street.

02:14When it rains, this waste obstructs the flow of water in the sewers and gutters, thus preventing

02:20its normal drainage.

02:22That's where I got the inspiration to create my first costume.

02:25Pounding drums draw the attention of curious crowds passing by.

02:32Pap Noir and his crew are using street performance as a form of protest.

02:37Their art is a bold statement against the unchecked dumping of waste.

02:45This work is unique and wearing it gives me the feeling of transforming myself in the face

02:49of the current problem that makes us suffer.

02:54For his next performance, Pap Noir draws inspiration from his ancestors.

03:00His performance is a window into the ancestral strength and way of life of our ancestors.

03:04Ngola is the white paint applied to the body, formerly used as a remedy to beautify the skin.

03:10It was also used during ancestral ceremonies.

03:14Today, this practice is neglected, which explains current problems such as pollution, a consequence

03:19of disrespecting ancestral values and practices.

03:29The impact is immediate.

03:31Residents stop to watch.

03:33Some take photos.

03:34With all eyes on him, Pap Noir ceases the moment to share his message.

03:39As a people, let's not throw our waste in the street.

03:44Let's not throw plastic in landfills in order to protect our environment.

03:48To my fellow artists, I can only encourage them to persevere in their denunciation.

03:55Whatever the obstacle is, a solution will eventually emerge with God's help.

04:04The road to clean streets and waterways is long, but not impossible.

04:09Bold artists like Pap Noir remind us that the future of our cities, rivers and communities

04:15is in our hands.

04:16Art has sparked the conversation.

04:19Now, it's up to the people to carry it forward.

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