Field Trip by the Mainz Subproject to Matongé (Brussels)

From October 30 to November 2, 2026, the Mainz subproject undertook a field trip to the Matongé neighborhood of Brussels, which—more than any other place in Europe—is characterized by a high concentration of the Congolese and Lingala-speaking diaspora. A primary goal of the trip was to connect with musicians from this scene and thereby gather fascinating and valuable perspectives on Congolese rumba and other aspects of the project. The itinerary also included a visit to the exhibition “Postcolonial?” at the House of European History, as well as to the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, which features, among other things, an impressive room dedicated to the history of Congolese rumba. In addition to engaging with the content of the topics presented and critically reflecting on Europe’s colonial entanglements, the project team was particularly interested in how these aspects were conceptually implemented in the respective museums. This led to a number of insights and sources of inspiration for the project’s own planned exhibitions.