Limbs of the Lunar Disc

23 May-8 Jun 2025

PV 22 May 2025

Overview

Predicated on the belief that our world was built in service of imperial violence, the show introduces new ontological systems rooted in land, spirit, and ancestry. Through large-scale paintings and immersive technologies, the exhibition’s narrative journeys explore environmental violence on a deep time scale, paying attention to the spiritual salience of the natural world.

The exhibition features Separated by Millennia (2024), a series of oil paintings on wooden panels, which imagines a temporally nomadic tribe using Arabian astronavigation and geolocation tools to manipulate time. These ideas expand in Al-Sarraj’s new immersive work, guiding audiences through time—from the distant future to the ancient past—following An Ancestor Simulation that investigates the long-term effects of imperial violence and liberation movements.

Engaging with Laura Nasrallah’s concept of the ancestral assemblage, the exhibition asks: How can we honour those who came before us while ensuring justice for those yet to come?
Limbs of the Lunar Disc is co-commissioned by Shubbak Festival and the Arab British Centre, featuring works commissioned by the Mechatronic Library. Curated by Jessica El Mal and hosted at Mimosa House. Supported by Freelands Foundation.