Abu Dhabi · 16/05/2025
The Other Side of the Moon
Abu Dhabi
The Other Side of the Moon marks the grand opening of a new cultural space in Abu Dhabi, inaugurated by Baró Galeria in collaboration with O-Contemporary. This group exhibition gathers ten artists from seven nations, guiding visitors on a trajectory that moves from the immediate landscapes surrounding us to the distant realms of the cosmos. Featuring works by Abdus Salaam (b. 1989, South Africa), Latifa Saeed (b. 1985, United Arab Emirates), Mano Penalva (b. 1987, Brazil), Jorge Rosano Gamboa (b. 1984, Mexico), Tamara Kalo (b. 1992, United Arab Emirates), Adrian Pepe (b. 1984, Lebanon/Canada), Elias Crespin (b. 1965, Venezuela), Gary Hill (b. 1951, United States), Eduardo Kac (b. 1962, Brazil), Néstor García (b. 1985, Spain), and Rasheed Araeen (b. 1935, Pakistan), the exhibition unfolds across three interconnected chapters. These progress from the immediacy of sand, desert, and surrounding terrain, through the human experience of wonder and searching, and finally towards the mysteries of the Moon and the universe beyond. At the heart of the exhibition lies the concept of Insān — the human being as a seeker, defined by a constant quest for the unknown. Through sculpture, installation, video, and mixed media, the participating artists explore how this restless impulse shapes our relationship with the environment, memory, and the cosmos. In the first chapter, visitors encounter works that engage directly with the tangible, examining the materiality of sand, the tension of gravitational forces, and the vastness of the desert. As the exhibition progresses, the focus shifts inward toward human perception and longing, considering how we construct meaning through exploration, and how absence, memory, and imagination shape what we see. Finally, the exhibition expands outward again, turning its gaze to the sky — to the Moon as both a real celestial body and an enduring symbol of distance, dreams, and discovery. Set in Abu Dhabi, under the light of the very Moon that has inspired poets, scientists, and dreamers for millennia, The Other Side of the Moon invites viewers to reflect on what connects the known and the unknown. Echoing quietly but insistently the spirit of exploration and reflection, the exhibition operates within a subtle tension between technology and poetry, between outer space and inner gravity. It ultimately challenges us to reconsider what we choose to illuminate, and what we leave in shadow.
Participants
Works
Malus Sieversii
Mother & Child
Shawwal III
The Arrowheart
The Weight
Portals
![Dust Devil III [Air]](https://img.exhibo.art/EhSvu6K1dTjRRlrgVFxvMgByJUFKxVCKv1-Za4O9Fu4/rs:fill:800:1066/g:ce/q:80/czM6Ly9leGhpYm8vZ2FsbGVyaWVzLzcxZGYyYzAwLWI3Y2EtNDEyYi04YTAwLTJkYTA1OGM4YmVhOS9hcnR3b3JrLzMyOTQwZDNmLTVlODUtNDhmOS1iOTNjLWE0MTIwN2I5NTE4ZC53ZWJw)
Dust Devil III [Air]
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Regex Redux 7, from the series Adsum
Contrails 1, from series Adsum
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adsum@orion 2 Adsum series
Adsum (Landed on the Moon in 2025) from the series Adsum
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