In praise of
the shadow
In Praise of the Shadow is a pictorial investigation into lunar geography, developed from an exploratory map that encompasses the Moon's surface in its entirety. The research stems from the observation of representations of this celestial body throughout history, addressing the different meanings and interpretations it has acquired within Western scientific contexts and systematized in selenographic charts, as well as its social, philosophical, and poetic implications at the intersectional of science, imagination and space exploration.
Installation view
Formas das águas exhibition curated by Pablo Lafuente and Raquel Barreto at Museo de Arte Moderna do Rio (MAM)
Format 700x350cm
Technique - charcoal and iron oxide on linen, gold leaf, basalt and brass
Mapping and naming are fundamental gestures in the processes of exploration and appropriation of territories, establishing conventions and instruments of organization and control. The naming of a territory inscribes it within a specific symbolic, cultural and political system, establishing relations of power. In the case of lunar geography, the interests of those conducting the exploration, turning the Moon into a space of political and epistemological inscription