MOON CIRCLE NO. 3
The Sun In Your Hand
with Emilio Chapela
A collector's journey through light and time, culminating in the Sun held in your hand. Over seven months, Emilio will invite us to reach toward the Sun, tracing its energy and the flows moving through our world. An artwork will emerge from this solar inquiry.
Moon Circle is a seven-month programme in which a small group of participants accompanies Emilio Chapela through the creation of a new artwork.
Over the course of seven months, Chapela will reach toward the Sun’s energy, touching it, questioning it, and tracing the solar flows that move across the world. This work will unfold in seven stages, each one marked by a full moon.
Though it is mainly visible at night, the full moon is also a solar phenomenon: sunlight reflected to Earth. This is an invitation to step inside a solar experience and to witness and be part of something rare: the slow creation of an artwork that reveals itself over time, moon by moon.
Rather than fast collecting, Moon Circle is built on shared witnessing over time. Conspirators encounter the artist’s process through gatherings, monthly physical deliveries, and material traces. Presence may be in person or remote, across Europe, with Berlin as the base.
At the end of the journey, an artwork born from seven months of solar inquiry will be yours. Join us in this passage between light and time, and carry the Sun home in your hand.
ABOUT EMILIO CHAPELA
His practice unfolds as a dialogue between science, ecology, and philosophy, aiming to foster environmental awareness and critical reflection. Working across video, sculpture, painting, and installation, his work explores light, time, astronomy, water, and river systems. Through these investigations, Chapela asks how art can generate imaginaries and poetics grounded in ecological thinking to help re-imagine sustainable futures.
www.emiliochapela.com
COLLECTIONS
Chapela’s work is part of public and private collections internationally, including the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection (Germany); Pérez Art Museum Miami, Phoenix Art Museum, Pardon, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and The Ringling Museum of Art (USA); the Jumex Museum, MUAC Museum, FEMSA, and the Museo de la Cancillería (Mexico); and MARTE Museum (El Salvador).
General Questions
What is Moon Circle?
Moon Circle is a seven-month programme in which a small group accompanies one artist through the making of a new artwork. Participants witness the process through gatherings, transmissions, and material traces. The final artwork is included at the end of the cycle.
Who is it for?
Moon Circle is for people who want to be closer to contemporary art without needing prior experience. Many participants are at the beginning of their collecting journey. Others are collectors seeking a deeper relationship with artists and process.
Will I receive an artwork?
Each full moon brings an experience, an artifact, a piece to your door. At the cycle's end, you'll receive an exclusive artwork by Emilio Chapela.
Is the artwork predetermined?
No. Participants experience the work as it emerges. Toward the end of the cycle, the artist shares a small number of possible final directions and conspirators are invited to express a preference.
Can I participate remotely?
Yes. Conspirators may join in person or remotely. Remote participants receive monthly transmissions, objects, and documentation that carry fragments of the artist’s process. Both modes involve the same duration and commitment.
What happens if I miss an event?
If you cannot attend a gathering, you receive a corresponding fragment by post so the rhythm of the programme continues to reach you.
How many people participate?
Moon Circle is intentionally small, typically 10 to 15 conspirators.
How do I join?
Moon Circle is invitation based and begins with a conversation. If the programme resonates, you can apply below and we will get in touch with you.