The controversial film by the Dutch artist Renzo Martens, ‘Episode 3 – ‘Enjoy Poverty’ (2009, 90 min), will be screened at the Tate Modern, London, on 2nd June at 18.30.
In this documentary-style film, Martens investigates the representation of Congolese poverty. Throughout the film he mocks the way the Western world exploits poverty in Africa. Essentially, Martens’ concerns are the journalists, photographers and charity workers using the Congolese for their own ends. He travels around the Congo and presents these issues to the Congolese people, telling them how their poverty is a resource that the West exploits to make money and to make themselves feel good.
Renzo Martens explores “the contradictions of humanitarianism, photojournalism, and concerned contemporary art”. He will also exposes, sometimes in a very uneasy way, the relation of power between those who watch and those who are being watched.
The film which asks ‘who owns poverty?’ and examines the ethics and economics surrounding images of post-colonial suffering is not without contradiction. By the end you will wonder what Martens really wanted to achieve or whether he is not as complicit as the ones he mocks?
Surely, material for discussion.
Following the screening, Martens will be joined in conversation by T.J. Demosand Tamar Garb, both of UCL’s Department of Art History.
Filed under: Film Tagged: | Africa, Central Africa, DRC, poverty, representation, screening
Hope you might be able to do a report on this screening and discussion for those unable to attend.
I will try but I am not hundred per cent sure. However, I know that the Tate Modern films some of the discussions and they are posted at the channel.tate.org.uk. The only problem is that it takes them quite long. If i manage to go I will post something.