Limbs of the Lunar Disc by Sarah Al-Sarraj at Shubbak Festival, London
22 May '25 at 12:00 pm - 8 June '25 at 6:00 pm
Preview: 22 May 6-9pm
Worldbuilding with striking large-scale paintings and an immersive digital installation, this exhibition by Sarah Al-Sarraj invites audiences on a journey through deep time, ancestry, and the persisting impact of imperial histories.
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?
Events Programme
Thursday 22 May 6-9pm: Exhibition preview
Saturday 31 May 5-6:30pm: Stories from the Satellite Dish with Dalia al-Dujaili and Sarah Al-Sarraj
Limbs of the Lunar Disc is co-commissioned by the Arab British Centre and Shubbak Festival, featuring works commissioned by the Mechatronic Library. Curated by Jessica El Mal as part of As We Are, Might Have Been and Could Be, and hosted at Mimosa House. Supported by Arts Council England and Freelands Foundation.
The exhibition, part of the Shubbak Festival 2025, will be free to visit and will also have an accompanying events programme. Watch out for more details!