"The cenotaph carries the epitaph 安らかに眠って下さ い 過ちは 繰返しませぬから, which means 'please rest in peace, for [we/they] shall not repeat the error.' In Japanese, the sentence's subject is omitted, thus it could be interpreted as either '[we] shall not repeat the error' or as '[they] shall not repeat the error'."1
The exhibition title is derived from the cenotaph's epitaph, with two key changes: 'Take it Home' replaces 'Rest in Peace,' and the subject of the sentence remains unstated.
The City of Hiroshima officially says "'the error' mentioned in the epitaph does not refer to the actions of an individual or a single nation but rather to war and the use of nuclear weapons committed by all of humankind."2 This ambiguity, however, conveniently serves to avoid political conflict with the United States, the country that dropped the atomic bomb. Following World War II, Japan was occupied by the General Headquarters (GHQ) and subsequently formed a close alliance with the U.S. As a result, Japan has been unable to officially criticize the U.S.'s actions directly, and the epitaph's vagueness appears to be a way of avoiding direct attribution of responsibility.
However, this exhibition offers an additional perspective on this complex historical narrative.
While acknowledging the criticism of the epitaph's depoliticization in favor of Japan-U.S. relations, we can also embrace Hiroshima's official interpretation: that 'we' encompasses all humankind. Through this lens, Hiroshima's decision to bear responsibility for preventing future 'errors' by humanity becomes a powerful statement of collective responsibility, transforming what some see as historical depoliticization.
This exhibition features the work of four artists from Japan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the United States, exploring the connections between seemingly disparate locations affected by nuclear weapons. In Congo, miners in the uranium mine faced radiation exposure as the U.S. imported uranium for the development of atomic bombs. Similarly, in the U.S., 'downwinders' were exposed to radioactive contamination from nuclear weapons testing. The exhibition connects these historical dots, highlighting the hidden victims behind the simplified narrative of the U.S. as the aggressor and Japan as the victim.
Sixte Kakinda, Intimate Moments/Monologue, 2019, Video installation, 51 minutes 55 seconds
Sixte Kakinda, the first African artist to obtain an MFA degree and a PhD from Tokyo University of the Arts, presents a project focusing on the connection between Congo and Hiroshima. Congo supplied the uranium used in the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Intimate Moments, a three-channel video installation, documents Kakinda's travels in Hiroshima, his performance of counting global nuclear tests, and his symbolic act of spreading medicine on the ground. His work reveals the invisible link between Congo and Hiroshima and bridges disparate historical narratives through the artist's physical presence.
Souya Handa, Time is Moving But the Clock is (Glazed), 2025, Raspberry Pi Pico W, LCD, Woodcut, Glass, W12.2 x H12.2 x D2 inches
Souya Handa, a Japanese artist who grew up in Hiroshima, has made it his mission to preserve and pass down Hiroshima's history. In this exhibition, Handa explores the concept of the 'time of Hiroshima,' reflecting on the significance of the bombing and the city's enduring prayers over the past 80 years. In his 6 AUG. 1945 and 9 AUG. 1945, Handa applied his art-making time on the canvas, allowing the artist to meditate on his thoughts and emotions regarding the atomic bombings through On Kawara's style. In Framed Stratum (The Atomic Bomb Dome), Handa captures the image of the Atomic Bomb Dome in contemporary society.
Time is Moving but the Clock is (Glazed) depicts the moment of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, like a watch stopped by the detonation. Our Postwar is NOT Over (Glazed) and We Still Hold the Errors (Glazed) represents the time elapsed since 8:15:17 on August 6, 1945, when the atomic bomb was said to have been dropped on Hiroshima. These three works are covered by melted glass plates and with burnt wooden parts, implying the high temperature caused by the atomic bombing.
Take the Target Home is an installation that presents a real-time image of Aioi Bridge, the T-shaped bridge targeted in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome. This work connects Manhattan and Hiroshima, offering a contemporary view of Hiroshima within that historical context. Viewers can take a piece of the printed image home.
Kei Ito, Eye Who Witnessed, 2020-2021, Unique c-print photograms (historical archive, sunlight, artist’s breath), wooden frame",Installation: 13 ft. x 9 ft. x 1.5 in. (108 of 8 x 10 in. prints)
Kei Ito is a Japan-born visual artist based in the East Coast area of the U.S. He works on visualizing the invisible, such as radiation, memory, and life/death. As a grandchild of a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and a first-generation U.S. immigrant, Ito focuses on the "downwinders," the victims exposed to nuclear fallout from nuclear weapons testing, including the American workers for the first tests unaware of the deadly and invisible threat of radiation.
In Eye Who Witnessed, the eyes of survivors of the atomic bombings in Japan and American Downwinders, individuals exposed to radiation through nuclear tests conducted in the United States, including technicians involved in nuclear weapon development, are imprinted with sunlight. The work intermingles the eyes, blurring the distinction between Japanese and American victims to underscore the fact that nuclear weapons impact individuals irrespective of their nationality.
In the U.S. narrative, the atomic bomb served as one of the weapons that brought an end to the Pacific War and ostensibly ushered in a period of 'peace.' However, the use of the bomb, and the sacrifices made during its development and testing, can be seen as sacrifices made in the name of 'peace.' Two phrases written with ash in Riddle of Peace/War critically examine these sacrifices for peace and war.
Aborning New Light reworks footage from U.S. nuclear tests, breaking down each film into thousands of still images. These frames are then reprinted onto darkroom paper using tinted sunlight, and the prints are scanned again to recreate a single video. During the exposure process, objects like Godzilla figurines or Enola Gay toys were sometimes placed on the darkroom paper.
Layla Yamamoto, therefore I want it (Postwar is over), 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, 17.9 x 20.8 inches (45.5 x 53 cm)
Layla Yamamoto, a Japanese artist educated in the United States, focuses on social and political power. Her series, After the Quake, critically examines post- war Japan-U.S. relations, beginning with the atomic bombings and extending through the nuclear plant trade that led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
birthday(red) and American flag on a document of Trinity depicts the iconic "Trinity Test," the first-ever atomic bomb test conducted in the United States. A girl in Los Alamos depicts a girl from a historical photograph of daily life in Los Alamos, where the Manhattan Project was based. It highlights the economic disparity between the U.S. and Japan during wartime and also reveals how everyday life continued in Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project.
The phrase "Postwar is Over" in therefore I want it (Postwar is over) prompts a reevaluation of the post- war system, particularly as the Japan-U.S. relationship approaches its 80th year. It encourages confronting the reality of Japanese society, which has long moved beyond the periods of high economic growth and the bubble era. However, within the context of Hiroshima, the word "postwar" may carry a different significance. Given that Hiroshima's postwar period continues until "all atomic bombs are eradicated from the world," the message of "Postwar is Over" in this exhibition resonates deeply with the city's prayers.
In 2024, Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Terumi Tanaka, the co-chair of Hidankyo and a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, warned of the threat of nuclear weapons use at the Nobel Prize lecture. "The nuclear superpower, Russia, threatens to use nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine..."3 Tim Walberg, a U.S. representative from Michigan, said "the conflict in Israel should be over quickly 'like Nagasaki and Hiroshima, and quickly faced significant criticism. In response, he clarified that he was not advocating for the use of nuclear weapons but was using a metaphor to emphasize the need for swift resolution in conflicts involving Israel and Ukraine, aiming to minimize harm to American troops.4
However, it shows that nuclear weapons still hold political appeal, and their use is not only theorized as a deterrence but also considered a real possibility.
Yet, hope persists in art's power to influence hearts and minds. By expanding our understanding of who 'we' are, humanity can move toward a future where 'the error' need never be repeated. This is how we can truly make the postwar over.
