Reintegrating Nuclear Knowledge Through Contemporary Art
Transforming Repositories into Living Archives
Abstract
This chapter explores how contemporary art can reintegrate nuclear knowledge into society by transforming repositories of radioactive waste into living archives. It argues that utilising contemporary art as a means of archiving and engaging with the past provides a powerful tool for involving individuals in shaping a shared future. The chapter examines different countries’ approaches to nuclear semiotics, with a focus on Italy’s ongoing search for a permanent disposal site. It analyses the Art Spaces. Nuclear Decommissioning. Science at the service of the future generation exhibition held in Italy in 2017 as an example of artistic engagement with radioactive waste, drawing from interviews with participating artists. The chapter delves into the complexities of the Italian nuclear landscape, explores strategies for sharing Italy’s nuclear legacy, and emphasises the capacity of contemporary art to stimulate dialogue and involvement. By investigating international influences, the chapter offers insights into effectively using contemporary art as a catalyst for discussing collective legacies and understanding Italy’s nuclear repositories.
Presentato: 11 Luglio 2023 | Accettato: 14 Settembre 2023 | Pubblicato 14 Dicembre 2023 | Lingua: en
Keywords Radioactive legacies • Cultural heritage-making • Nuclear knowledge • Archiving method • Art practices
Copyright © 2023 Giulia Melchionda. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-756-2/007