In its first-ever solo show of a Black African artist, New York's Museum of Modern Art will put the work of visionary Congolese artist Bodys Isek Kingelez on full display. On view from May 26, 2018 through January 1, 2019, City Dreams will span the sculptor's three-decade career from his early single-building sculptures, to his spectacular sprawling cities and futuristic late works.

The self-trained artist, who passed in 2015, was known for his "extreme maquettes" in which he transformed paper, commercial packaging, and other everyday materials into dazzling, intricate sculptures. From fanciful models of civic buildings and public monuments, to colossal works depicting entire cities, Kingelez's work offers a meticulous vision for his ideal metropolis. 

Kingelez's work explores urgent questions around urban growth, economic inequity, how communities and societies function, and the rehabilitative power of architecture—issues that remain pressing today. The long overdue programming and rarely shown works call for us all to imagine what a more perfect world would look like. As the visionary said, "without a model, you are nowhere."