Sculpture of two women in the garden of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Kinshasa

DR Congo · Kinshasa · Académie des Beaux-Arts

The Académie des Beaux-Arts in Kinshasa, as a family

A sculpture garden, workshops where students work right in front of you and giant murals: a 2h30 visit the kids love.

Visit

Free with our contact

Duration

2h30

With kids

All ages especially if they like museums

Where

Kinshasa

What we experienced

Thanks to a local contact, we visited the Académie des Beaux-Arts for free. Allow about 2h30 to see it all without rushing.

Kids who are used to museums love it: you bump into students hard at work, you wander from one workshop to the next, and much of the visit is outdoors, in the sculpture garden. Perfect for kids who need to move.

In the workshop, a young sculptor explained his work to us: the kind of encounter you just don't get in a regular museum.

The sculpture garden

The whole outdoor area: the kids can run between the artworks.

The sculpture avenue
The sculpture avenue
The garden bull
The garden bull
Two women, sculpture
Two women, sculpture
Sculptures under the trees
Sculptures under the trees
The elephant
The elephant
The garden pond
The garden pond
The little bridge over the pond
The little bridge over the pond
The palm avenue
The palm avenue
Sculpture on a plinth
Sculpture on a plinth
Animal sculpture
Animal sculpture
Sculpture made from recycled materials
Sculpture made from recycled materials
Sculpture of hands
Sculpture of hands
White sculpture
White sculpture
Sculpted spheres
Sculpted spheres
The pond
The pond
The elephant, up close
The elephant, up close
Totem statue
Totem statue
Bust of an Académie master
Bust of an Académie master
A break in front of a statue
A break in front of a statue
A break on the lawn
A break on the lawn

The student workshops

Ceramics, sculpture, painting: you watch the artworks come to life.

The ceramics workshop
The ceramics workshop
Working the clay
Working the clay
The big workshop
The big workshop
An artist at work
An artist at work
The sculpture workshop
The sculpture workshop
A workshop entrance
A workshop entrance
The students' paintings
The students' paintings
The Last Supper, a student painting
The Last Supper, a student painting
The courtyard and the flags
The courtyard and the flags

The murals

The trompe-l’œil murals are the kids' favourite spot for photos.

Wall mural
Wall mural
Bird mural
Bird mural
River mural
River mural
Trompe-l’œil mural
Trompe-l’œil mural
Playing with the mural
Playing with the mural

Meeting a sculptor

A sculptor explains his work to us
Video with sound: press play.

Also worth seeing in Kinshasa: the Laurent-Désiré Kabila mausoleum

The monument dedicated to Mzee Laurent-Désiré Kabila, easy to combine with the Beaux-Arts visit.

The Laurent-Désiré Kabila (Mzee) mausoleum
The Laurent-Désiré Kabila (Mzee) mausoleum
The mausoleum, front view
The mausoleum, front view

Practical info

The visit

  • Duration: about 2h30.
  • Free thanks to our contact, who opens the doors for you and shows you around.
  • Lots of outdoor areas: garden, pond, sculpture avenues.

With kids

  • Ideal for kids who are used to museums.
  • You meet students at work: the kids ask loads of questions.
  • The trompe-l’œil murals are great for fun photos.

Good to know

It's a working school: ask before photographing students and their works in progress.

Good to know

The free visit goes through our contact at the Beaux-Arts

The contact who gets you in for a free visit is included in the €89 offer, along with all the other contacts from the trip.

Get the guide · €29 Guide + local contacts · €89

FAQ

Do you have to pay to visit the Académie des Beaux-Arts?

With our contact, the visit was free. This contact is included in the €89 offer.

How long does the visit take?

Allow about 2h30.

Is it suitable for kids?

Yes, especially if they're used to museums: much of the visit is outdoors, and you meet students at work.

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