The Democratic Republic of Congo arrives at the Scuola Grande di San Marco with one of the most richly assembled pavilions of the 2026 edition. Curated by philosopher and scholar Nadia Yala Kisukidi and commissioned by cultural producer Cindy Makiana, the exhibition features a prominent group of Congolese artists: Sammy Baloji, Arlette Bashizi, Patrick Bongoy, Damso, Gosette Lubondo, Nelson Makengo, Aimé Mpané, Léonard Pongo, and Géraldine Tobé. Through sculpture, photography, installation, and film, the pavilion examines the political and cultural history of the Congo while addressing contemporary issues such as colonial memory, resource extraction, social transformation, and artistic resistance. The title, Simba Moto, meaning "seize the fire", signals a posture of urgency and reclamation, positioning Congolese creative practice not as a response to crisis but as an assertion of sovereign cultural power. With Kisukidi, one of the most compelling philosophical voices working across African and diasporic thought today, at the helm, this pavilion is poised to be among the most intellectually potent of the entire Biennale.