The Shadow of the Moon

The Shadow of the Moon

In 1955, Moroccans underwent what artist Mounir Fatmi describes as a “collective hallucination”: in the height of the anti-colonial struggle, many believed to see the face of the Moroccan monarch, specifically their future king Mohammed V, on the moon. Not so different from the symbolic role played by Nelson Mandela in South Africa, whose face remained illegal for 22 years and therefore unknown to the public who demanded his freedom, the making of that mythical image and the power of collective memory helped fuel the fight for independence and a movement to subvert power. Setting aside the role that dominant (male) figures have played in anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles, what lies in the shadow of their moon? What do we learn about the power of collective imagination, what becomes possible even when not immediately visible or tangible? 

The Shadow of the Moon takes as its point of departure the notion of 'commoning uncertainty', and what our contemporary period of flux and crisis calls for, from community and artistic practice. We study the collective imaginary as a possible place of power from which to respond to this uncertainty.

Shadow of the Moon drew three initiatives from different contexts and cultures into a process of exploratory collective research, with a focus towards community work, collective imagining, and sustaining social practice. 

The exchange began in September 2023, with an extension at the end of February 2024 to produce a publication.

Carrots Die Everywhere

The 5-part publication “Carrots Die Everywhere” emerged precisely with the intentions of more clearly and functionally articulating the learnings of our process together, while sharing these learnings and tangible frameworks with our broader communities of practice. Developed first of all as a process, rather than just a product, “Carrots die everywhere” allowed the creation of a new space of collective research and reciprocal learnings as well as an opportunity to reflect, articulate and share together and with others.

to view and download the full set of 5 click here

Molemo Moiloa, Palenomi Moiloa, Jeanne Van Heeswijk, Francis Burger, Rim Mejdi, Lorén El Hili, Reading Counterpower, Sara-Aimee Verity, Nokukhanya Sibanda, Raea, Ashley Allard, Courteney Bentley, Boitumelo Phashe, Alexandra Greenberg, Zinhle Khumalo, Nouha Ben Yebdri, Alia Belgsir, Sarah Mounia Kachiri, Prishani Naidoo, Serda Demir, Carmen José, Santiago Pinyol, Wan Ing Que, Iliada Charalambous, and Janneke Absil.

The Shadow of the Moon was proudly supported by

The Resilient Communities/Inclusive Cities/Just Societies Grant from Netherlands-based Stimuleringsfond in 2023-24.