At the opening of the exhibition Penny Siopis. For Dear Life. A Retrospective, a DJ set by Mo Laudi, pioneer of Afro-electro, will take place from 9.30 pm onwards.
BIOGRAPHY
Mo Laudi (Ntshepe Tsekere Bopape) is a pioneering figure in the global music scene, particularly known for his contributions to Afro-electro music. His work combines his rich South African lineage with contemporary electronic music, and he has been influential in Afro-Electronic music in London since the early 2000s. Mo Laudi was the first South African to establish weekly DJ residencies in both London and Paris, starting in 2000, where he introduced audiences to South African House, Kwaito, and other hybrid sounds that eventually evolved into what is now recognised as Afro House. He was a trailblazer in popularising genres like Gqom, Shangaan Electro, and Amapiano in Parisian nightlife and was the first to perform Amapiano live on French television. His extensive career over the past two decades includes performances in over 50 countries, captivating audiences at both clubs and festivals worldwide.
Beyond his achievements as a DJ and producer, Mo Laudi is also a multifaceted multimedia artist, engaging in painting, collage, sculpture, video, and performance art. His work often serves as a socio-political critique, reflecting his interests in African knowledge systems, post-apartheid transitions, and various international and underground subcultures. His artistic endeavours are characterised by a deep engagement with archival materials, aiming to evoke themes of healing, rest, communal connections, deep listening, and the notions of care and repair.Mo Laudi’s unique Globalisto philosophy and his role as a cultural innovator extend beyond music and art. He is also a research fellow at Stellenbosch University and has the distinction of being the first South African Black curator to curate a group exhibition in Paris. His work engages in a continuous dance of weaving together the threads of tradition and avant-garde innovations.
His first participation in an exhibition was at the Centre Pompidou in Paris in 2019 with the sound work “Motho ke motho ka batho” (A Tribute to Ernest Mancoba). This has since been shown with his Rest Paintings series at the Dakar Biennale last year and at Shimmer in Rotterdam (2023). Challenging invisibilisations, Mo Laudi has also paid tribute to historic figures such as Mongo Beti, George Hallett, Gerard Sekoto. “Congo Square in D# Minor” was a collaboration with Sammy Baloji for the Grand Palais, Paris (2021). Mo Laudi has also been commissioned by Christine Eyene (2021), Sandrine Colard (2022), and recently for the exhibition “Matrimoine” at the Château d’Oiron and the Chapelle Jeanne d’Arc in Thouars (2023).
His curatorial projects include “Globalisto. Fragments of Community” at 31 Project, Paris (2023), “Globalisto. A Philosophy in Flux” at the Musée d’art moderne et contemporain, Saint-Etienne (2022), “Salon Globalisto” at Galerie Bonne Espérance, Paris (2021), and one in development, “Afrosonica” at the Musée d’ethnographie, Geneva (2025). His performances have taken place globally since the 2000s; sonic lectures have been held at Montreux Jazz Festival and Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam (2023); Sonsbeek 20-24, Arnhem; Kadist Foundation, Paris, (2021); Fondation Cartier, Paris. Globalisto Sessions are a monthly programme on Tsugi Radio.
