Mbikayi’s work unpacks the ways in which the technological advancement of the last twenty years has both positively and negatively affected the world. Its reliance on mining for resources, for instance, has made Africa and its people vulnerable to low-wage labour abuse as well as a range of other factors beyond their control, as dictated by international economic markets. Mbikayi collects what he refers to as ‘remnants’ – discarded computer parts and detritus – incorporating them into his collages, drawings, sculptures and performances. Some of Mbikayi’s sculptures are made wearable, becoming outfits for public or filmed performances.
His works have been exhibited in numerous international museums such as the Urban Institute for the Contemporary Arts of Michigan, the South Africa National Gallery and the Centre Culturel des Mazades in Toulouse. He was also recently selected to participate in OFF programme, Dak’Art—Biennale de l’Art Africain Contemporain (2018).