Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Atomic Bomb – Between Memories and Objects

This exhibition deals with the relationship between memories of the war and the atomic bomb, and objects such as artworks. We consider the formation, loss, and reconstruction of memories as they relate to, among other things, the bronze statue that once stood on Hijiyama, where the museum is now located, the artist who made it, and the statues that were rebuilt after the war. Moreover, it is possible to detect a sense of continuity between the past and the present, and catch a glimpse of dialogue-oriented attitudes toward acts of the past by examining the work of artists whose interests and subject matter deals with monuments, museums, and archives as objects and activities that are related to memory formation. In addition, the exhibition, made up of works from the collection (a postscript to the museum’s activities), strives to create a place for constructive, interactive discussion and thought regarding the potential for inheriting memories of the war, the participants, and the past, which were shaped by various expressions and systems.

〇From an Empty Pedestal on Hijiyama: UEDA Naoji, YOSHIDA Masanami, and AOYAMA Saburo

〇Dialogue with the Past (invited artists): KURODA Daisuke, DOKUYAMA Bontaro, TSUTAJA Gaku, Fiona AMUNDSEN, and KOMORI Haruka & SEO Natsumi

〇Works from the Hiroshima MoCA Collection: TANGE Kenzo, Isamu NOGUCHI, SHIMA Kuniichi, CHO Duck-Hyun, Henry MOORE, MARUKI Iri & MARUKI Toshi, and TONOSHIKI Tadashi