When I started my English seminar this term, I wasn’t expecting to learn about the end of the world. The introduction to the class was straightforward: we would explore how humanity might end and the ways in which authors describe these possibilities.
The first book we studied was On the Beach by Nevil Shute, a story about survivors of an atomic war ending in tragedy, with all of the characters eventually dying. It made me consider the realities of nuclear arms — how we simply live among tools that could end life as we know it with the push of a button.
After class, I was encouraged to visit the bomb, an art installation at UBC’s Audain Art Centre by filmmaker Smriti Keshari and writer Eric Schlosser running until January 31. The multimedia exhibit features an hour-long screening of the 2016 documentary of the same name. The film was originally shown at live performances and festivals, and is now being shown through an installation tour — this iteration of it had multiple screens arranged to create the illusion of being inside a nuclear command and control centre. The film is a collection of archive footage and animations which display the effects of nuclear war and bomb malfunctions and how these weapons pose an ongoing threat to humanity.
I went to the exhibit with a friend and we caught the opening of the film. Standing among the screens, we watched as the arms race began — footage from several countries depicting their focus on their militaries and weapon displays. It then moved into footage from tests gone wrong and instructional videos on what to do if a bomb accidentally goes off, which were difficult to watch as workers were not held to the same safety standards for radiation protection as they are today. The clips were played with an anxiety-inducing, high-tempo score accompanying the visuals.
Despite all the screens playing the same video, it was hard to focus on a single one of them. The film was shoved in my face and there was no escaping — it was suffocating.
After about 20 minutes, I sat on the bench provided in the space and watched from further away. It was less intense than standing right in the action, but I could still feel the invasive nature of the film and witnessed similar reactions to the display from fellow watchers.
When leaving the exhibit, guests had the chance to write a note about how the film made you feel and post it on the wall. The collection of reactions mainly consisted of fear and dread — fitting for the subject matter, but reflective of how the exhibit didn’t seem to do much more than scare viewers.
I was somewhat disappointed with what I saw. I’ve been to art installations at Audain before, and the bomb did not meet my expectations based on past work I’ve seen. The viewing area was quite small compared to how large the room was, and I think that took away from the constraining feeling the project created.
The film itself had some interesting scenes that inflicted a sense of dread, but without any narration and few descriptive captions, I wanted more thorough explanations about how nuclear weapons influenced history and how they continue to impact humanity as we know it. I saw a lot of big explosions, but it was difficult to gain specific insight into the topic. It felt like a documentary on mute: the visuals were stunning, but at times, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at.
Despite the areas that left things to be desired, I was still impressed with the production value of the film. Watching nuclear disasters and the physical effects of the bombs was shocking and thought-provoking. Actually seeing the physical impact of an explosion gave me an understanding of what destructive power the bombs truly hold — a more tangible depiction of how these weapons have destroyed whole cities and communities. As noted in the artist statement, “the bomb is a provocation, a reminder that the nuclear threat never went away. Thousands of these weapons are still out there… largely forgotten and hidden from view—underground, undersea, ready for launch, just waiting to be used.”
I walked out of the exhibit with the reminder that nuclear weapons still exist among us and are capable of terror beyond our imagination.
If you find yourself near the gallery, I would recommend taking a look at the exhibit. It is free to everyone and a unique approach to displaying film. I might not stay for the entire screening, but if you are interested in the topic or have some spare time on your hands, the bomb might be the place to spend it.
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