Part 1:
The two shows at the NJCU Visual Arts Gallery, Atomic Cowboy and Take It Home, For (_) Shall Not Repeat the Error, both deal with the aftereffects of nuclear weapons and how people remember, forget, or ignore them. The exhibitions show how art can make us think about history, war, and responsibility. In Atomic Cowboy, the author uses art to talk about the long history of nuclear testing and how it has shaped our world. One of her main works, Nuke-Cuisine, shows hundreds of soup cans, each one representing a nuclear test done by the U.S. The cans look simple, but remind us of the massive damage nuclear weapons caused. The exhibition also includes images of actors who were exposed to radiation, connecting Hollywood, war, and everyday life. The second exhibition, Take It Home, For (_) Shall Not Repeat the Error, was curated by Souya Handa and includes artists Kei Ito, Sixte Kakinda, and Layla Yamamoto. Their work looks at how nuclear power connects different parts of the world — from uranium mines in Africa to the bombings in Japan and later disasters like Fukushima. The title comes from the message on the Hiroshima Peace Memorial: “Rest in peace, for [we/they] shall not repeat the error.” The blank space “(_)” shows that responsibility belongs to everyone. These exhibitions are activist because they don’t just show beautiful art; they make people think and act. They challenge us to see the damage caused by political and scientific decisions. Curators like Handa are activists when they choose to show works that question power and history.
In The Art of Activism, Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert write that “Even those of us who don’t define ourselves as artists have a familiarity and comfort with creativity, arts, and culture that we often don’t have with politics” (page 5). This idea fits perfectly with the exhibition. These artworks help people talk about political issues, like war and justice, through creative and emotional experiences. Art gives people a way to face hard topics that politics alone can’t explain. Also, in Kimberly Drew’s book This Is What I Know About Art, she writes, “Art and protest will forever be bound together. And the beautiful thing about art, like activism, is that it allows us space to be curious and learn.”(page 7). This idea shows why the exhibition is so strong and meaningful. It gives visitors a chance to explore painful parts of history, war, loss, and destruction, a space that feels thoughtful and open instead of scary or distant. Through art, people can ask questions, feel emotions, and better understand how these events still affect our world today.
Moreover, writers, historians, and curators can become activists by giving voice to people and stories that have been ignored or forgotten. When historians bring back the hidden stories of radiation victims, or when curators create shows that make us question what “progress” really means, they are taking action. Deciding what stories to share, how to present them, and whose voices are heard is a political act. In these exhibitions, the curator becomes a keeper of memory, someone who uses art to help people notice, care, and remember.
Part 2:
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| Nuke-Cuisine (1992) by Nobuho Nagasawa — The Atomic Cowboy: The Daze After |
Medium: Installation (metal soup cans, printed labels, photographs)
This artwork uses humor and pop culture to talk about nuclear violence. At first, the soup cans look fun and normal, like something you’d see at a store. But when you look closer, each can stand for one of the many U.S. nuclear tests that happened after World War II. The artist uses this everyday image to show how society hides pain and destruction behind simple, familiar things. The bright colors and funny idea pull people in, but the message is serious. This work is activist because it uses art to tell the truth and make people think more deeply about war, memory, and what we choose to ignore.
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| “Whose America? (American Flag), 1992 |
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