Skip to main content
Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian 3D Digitization
  • Explore
  • Collections
  • About
    • Analytics Dashboard
    • Educator Tools
    • Internships
    • Open Source Resources
    • How to Use the 3D Viewer
    • Videos
  • Labs
  • Sponsors

Base King

Object Details

Label Text
Body Isek Kingelez wrote that his art was his way to contribute to a decolonized Africa, with his urban cityscapes serving as a vehicle for reimagining Africa’s collective future. He built small models of futuristic, utopian cityscapes fashioned from repurposed, found materials. The dynamic energy centered in the sprawling urban center of Kinshasa inspired Kingelez’s work, though many of his detailed structures were his own invention.
From his early urban building to his vibrant cityscapes, Kingelez envisioned a progressive way of living—a way of regeneration. Over the course of his prolific career, Kingelez created more than 300 sculptures ranging from individual structures to entire cities boasting colorful skyscrapers, stadiums, parks, monuments, waterways, and wide avenues. A representation of a single address in a cityscape, in its idealized architectural forms and meticulous details Base King is consistent with the artist’s more expansive cityscapes.
Description
Colorful mixed media sculpture featuring a tall skyscraper rising above smaller urban buildings fashioned from cardboard, plastic, pins, pen and paint. Green, red, silver, and blue hues predominate.
Provenance
Private collection, Paris
Acquired from the above by private owner
Lot 11 in Sotheby’s 28 March 2018 Modern and Contemporary African Art sale
Published References
Beauté Congo, Fondation Cartier, Paris, 2015-2016, p. 253
Content Statement
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
Date
2000
Maker
Bodys Isek Kingelez, 1948-2015, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Geography
Democratic Republic of the Congo
See more items in
National Museum of African Art Collection
Credit Line
Purchased with funds provided by the Annie Laurie Aitken Endowment
Data Source
National Museum of African Art
Object number
2018-13-1
Type
Sculpture
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Medium
Cardboard, plastic, pins, card, glue, pen and paint
Dimensions
H x W x D: 75.8 × 34.2 × 25.3 cm (29 13/16 × 13 7/16 × 9 15/16 in.)
Record ID
nmafa_2018-13-1
Metadata Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys7380ccc90-da04-455d-9da3-7b0d4e50b219

Related Object Groups

  • 4 thumbnail images in a grid

    Race and Place

Thanks to Verizon for support of this Our Shared Future: Reckoning with our Racial Past project.
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
Thanks to Verizon for support of this Our Shared Future: Reckoning with our Racial Past project.
These files consist of 3D scans of historical objects in the collections of the Smithsonian and may be downloaded by you only for non-commercial, educational, and personal uses subject to this disclaimer (https://3d.si.edu/disclaimer) and in accordance with the Terms of Use (https://3d.si.edu/termsofuse).
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
3D Model
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Voyager GitHub
  • Cook GitHub
  • Digitization Program Office
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Link to homepage

Back to Top