Works of art which appeal for peace
Apr. 15, 2008
by Naoki Tahara, Staff Writer
A large collage created by junior high school students which reproduces “Myth of Tomorrow,” the A-bomb mural by Taro Okamoto, is currently on display at the former Bank of Japan building in Hiroshima. Despite an appeal from residents of the city, Hiroshima was not selected as the home for the real “Myth of Tomorrow.” Still, I believe that the collage, a half-size replica of the mural, offers viewers a meaningful experience at the former bank, one of the buildings that survived the atomic bombing.
Towards the end of last year, a sculpture exhibition was held inside another A-bombed building, Honkawa Elementary School. The theme of the exhibition was not directly related to the atomic bombing, but large-scale statues, standing in the building that has maintained a presence of the bombing since that day, seemed deep in sorrow.
After an article on the exhibition was printed, an anonymous letter arrived from someone who said they lost a family member in the bombing. The letter posed the question “Is it right for art to be displayed anywhere?” and expressed reservations about holding the exhibition where people had died. Such art exhibitions in buildings from the time of the atomic bombing might be considered desecration in the eyes of those who experienced the bombing or lost loved ones in it.
Over 62 years have passed since the bombing and artists have been engaged in a variety of initiatives so that Hiroshima will not be forgotten. Some artists, indeed, use A-bombed buildings as one of the elements of their work. When their work is unified with the surrounding space, its power may be enhanced. Perhaps these works of art can even create an opportunity for A-bomb survivors and bereaved families to share their sorrows with others.
Bearing in mind the sentiments of the A-bomb survivors, I hope to write about more works of art which appeal for peace.
A large collage created by junior high school students which reproduces “Myth of Tomorrow,” the A-bomb mural by Taro Okamoto, is currently on display at the former Bank of Japan building in Hiroshima. Despite an appeal from residents of the city, Hiroshima was not selected as the home for the real “Myth of Tomorrow.” Still, I believe that the collage, a half-size replica of the mural, offers viewers a meaningful experience at the former bank, one of the buildings that survived the atomic bombing.
Towards the end of last year, a sculpture exhibition was held inside another A-bombed building, Honkawa Elementary School. The theme of the exhibition was not directly related to the atomic bombing, but large-scale statues, standing in the building that has maintained a presence of the bombing since that day, seemed deep in sorrow.
After an article on the exhibition was printed, an anonymous letter arrived from someone who said they lost a family member in the bombing. The letter posed the question “Is it right for art to be displayed anywhere?” and expressed reservations about holding the exhibition where people had died. Such art exhibitions in buildings from the time of the atomic bombing might be considered desecration in the eyes of those who experienced the bombing or lost loved ones in it.
Over 62 years have passed since the bombing and artists have been engaged in a variety of initiatives so that Hiroshima will not be forgotten. Some artists, indeed, use A-bombed buildings as one of the elements of their work. When their work is unified with the surrounding space, its power may be enhanced. Perhaps these works of art can even create an opportunity for A-bomb survivors and bereaved families to share their sorrows with others.
Bearing in mind the sentiments of the A-bomb survivors, I hope to write about more works of art which appeal for peace.
