Curated by Charlene Prempeh, ‘A Measure of the Moon’ pairs scavenged Lagos aluminium, traditional sand casting, and Yoruba oríkì poetry to critique the extraction economy.
Stepping into the intersection of material history and contemporary critique, Acne Paper Palais Royal has launched its latest exhibition, A Measure of the Moon, by visionary Lagos-based designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello. Curated by Charlene Prempeh, the showcase builds upon Marcus-Bello’s ongoing exploration of material culture—directly confronting how overconsumption in the global North extracts and destabilizes economic and resource systems across the global South.
Featuring geometric bronze forms and sculptural discs cast from scavenged, melted aluminum sourced throughout Lagos’ informal foundries, the exhibition reinterprets traditional West African craft through a contemporary, celestial lens.Utilizing Nigeria’s indigenous sand-casting techniques, Marcus-Bello transforms raw industrial waste into vessels and moon-like objects. The physical gallery space is anchored by a haunting, evocative soundscape of traditional Yoruba oríkìpoetry performed by the designer’s mother, Folake.
On view at Acne Paper Palais Royal through December 20, 2026, the exhibition proves that true contemporary design must confront the complex, often violent global supply chains that birth it.
