The Limba: Parasites Seed

By Gil Ngolé

This essay was originally published in the SeedBroadcast agri-Culture Journal #24

The limba, also called Padouk by the western audience, is a wood species that is indigenous from the forest of the bassin du Congo. Its features a strong red vermillion, and tainted white colors. Some trees are found in the rain forest of the Republic of Congo, in the sMakoua Forest and in the Mayombe forest. Furthermore, its density is close to the one of Kampala.  In addition to that it is the perfect playground for an intelligent design seed that feeds of the nutriments provided by the limba round slab.  

That intelligent design appears as a white, thin, veined parasite that grows from one end of the wood slab to another. It spreads as a network of white nerfs. This reminds us of the network of invisible underground rivers and the paths and hands of the Amazon, Congo river and the Mississippi River . 

One major characteristic that this intelligent design has is that it grows between the thin space of two slab of limba . Away from the sunlight and requires no photosynthesis in order to grow. 

How did this seed get in that inaccessible seed? Was it sown before the slabs were stored? Was it brought there by the wind? Was it brought in there by another intelligent design? 

This reminds me of the power of life.

Gil Ngolé was born in Brazzaville, The Republic of the Congo during the postcolonial era, a social and political environment that is an important source of inspiration. He got a BFA in painting and installation at Rueil-Malmaison’s College of art in France, and a MFA in mixed media installation at the Memphis College of Art. Since then,  he  developed a nomadic practice combining architectural drawing, biotechnology, graffiti, and sound sculpture in response to the issue of forced displacement . His works was on display at The Musée du Mac-Val (France, 2008), Crosstown Arts Memphis (2014 and 2015), the Memorial Art Gallery-Memphis (2014), and the Tops Gallery-Memphis (2015), The Zhou B Art Center-Chicago IL, ArtFields 2016 Biennale-Lake City SC, The Sumter Art Gallery-Sumter SC, and the Santa Fe Art Institute/University of New Mexico Lands Arts Of the American West(September 2017 and April  20th 2018)- NM .His awards includes The Honenberg Scholarship (2015), The RiverArts Scholarship (2015), The Merit Scholarship (2014), a sponsored residency at the Santa Fe Art Institute (2017). And a SFAI Visiting Artist position with the University of New Mexico Lands Arts Of The American West (2017).

Ngole is preparing a solo show that will be put on display at the École de Peinture de Poto-Poto.