“Originally it had been used to reveal enemy camouflage, so I asked myself, where is an unseen narrative? Where is the most unlikely place you would use this film?”

—Richard Mosse

Aware of the current political climate and the history of Western notions of the Congo, Richard Mosse sought to document the current state of the country while battling with the constraints of traditional war photography and his position as a white man with a camera. Using Kodak Aerochrome, a colour infrared film originally developed for military reconnaissance, Mosse photographed an area that had been engaged in violent rebellion since the 1990s. This choice of film rendered the lush jungle greens in lavenders, crimsons and hot pink, confronting us with an ethereal, otherworldly landscape and turning our visual expectations on its head.