Cuivre et Oxydation Urbaine
A dialogue of modern and ancestral metallurgical practices
The 2022 project, centered in Lubumbashi, investigates the historical links between pre-colonial metallurgical practices and the severe modern-day pollution caused by the industrial exploitation of metals like copper, zinc, and manganese. Hadassa Ngamba initiated this work in collaboration with university architecture faculties (UNILU and ULB) and, crucially, an ancestral copper beating workshop in Lubumbashi.
The Metaphor of Oxidation: The project uses the chemical process of oxidation as a powerful metaphorical inversion. Ancestral copper smiths employed controlled exposure to oxygen to treat and purify copper. Ngamba juxtaposes this ancient chemical mastery with the modern industrial reality, where mining results in pervasive pollution, declaring that "toxicity is the blood line of cities". Where ancient smiths responsibly mastered the material, the city's toxic mining waste signifies the catastrophic failure or intentional abandonment of this material wisdom.
Spatial Planning and Colonial Cartography: Ngamba’s work also tackles colonial cartography and urban planning: Beaten copper plates physically depict the rigid, linear city plans characteristic of colonial urban design, such as early Kinshasa. This linear planning was designed primarily for administrative and extractive efficiency. The artist explicitly opposes this structure by collaborating with university students to develop an "organic" city model. The medium of beaten copper directly links the material basis of both wealth and toxicity to the spatial planning enforced by colonial map.
Complementing the 2022 project, XR future Cities collects urban /architectural data to generate immersive XR - Extended Reality - experiences of iconic sites associated with colonial exploitation, such as the emblematic buildings of Gécamines - the mining company that provided Uranium for the Hiroshima bomb.
The artist creates a virtual space that becomes a tool for appropriation of space, self-determination and community-led urban planning. She worked with local digital experts to show that Congolese know-how can create a cunning immersive experience.
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