Bodys Isek Kingelez with "Étoile Rouge Congolaise" in Nantes, France, in 1993.
Courtesy André Magnin Bodys Isek Kingelez with "Étoile Rouge Congolaise" in Nantes, France, in 1993.

With “Bodys Isek Kingelez: City Dreams,” New York’s Museum of Modern Art mounts the first U.S. retrospective of the late Congolese artist’s vibrant models of imagined buildings and cityscapes. Kingelez created these “extreme maquettes” from colored paper, packaging, bottle caps, and other found objects; each embodied his hope for the future of postcolonial urban environments throughout Africa, and served as a counterpoint to his experience in the haphazard exponential growth of Kinshasa, Congo. The exhibition spans Kingelez's career, including early single-building models, sprawling cityscapes, and later futuristic maquettes.

"Kimbembele Ihunga," 1994.
Maurice Aeschimann "Kimbembele Ihunga," 1994.

“City Dreams” opened May 26 and runs through Jan 1, 2019. The exhibition catalog features accompanying text by David Adjaye, Hon. FAIA.

"Stars Palme Bouygues," 1989.
Vincent "Stars Palme Bouygues," 1989.
"U.N.," 1995.
Maurice Aeschimann "U.N.," 1995.
"Ville Fantôme," 1996.
Maurice Aeschimann "Ville Fantôme," 1996.
Detail of "Kinshasa la Belle," 1991.
Maurice Aeschimann Detail of "Kinshasa la Belle," 1991.