On-Trade-Off
On-Trade-Off is a transnational artist collective and long-term research project investigating the mining culture of Manono, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The artist-led research of On-Trade-Off was sparked by the large-scale mining of lithium in Manono, DRC. A site of historical extractivism, Manono has also become swept up in the race for green energy as lithium has become a valuable material for electrical technology. The members of On-Trade-Off created a collaborative platform for the exchange of trans-disciplinary knowledge in order to investigate how technological innovation has become dependent on natural resources, following chains of value across the globe.
On-Trade-Off constructs a digital platform for trans-disciplinary knowledge that, through its holistic and inclusive approach, aims to better understand the processes that shape(d) the world we live in. To enrich this narrative and create long-term spin-offs, collaboration with a multitude of people and organisations from different backgrounds is established, ranging from visual artists, cultural producers, local communities, filmmakers, thinkers, activists, engineers, and designers that are engaged in these complex global issues. The outcomes debate, emphasise and question how technological innovation depends on raw material extraction by merging multiple sites of work, life, and exchange that – although geographically distant – are central to its existence.
Artists: Alexis Destoop, Marjolijn Dijkman, Pélagie Gbaguidi, Femke Herregraven, Alain Nsenga, Jean Katambayi Mukendi, Dorine Mokha & Elia Rediger, Frank Mukunday & Tétshim, Musasa, Georges Senga, Pamela Tulizo, Maarten Vanden Eynde
The exhibition Charging Myths is a co-production of Framer Framed (Amsterdam) and Z33 (Hasselt).