Cultural exchange between nuclear victim areas Maralinga and Nagasaki
Maralinga sculpture sent to Nagasaki in symbol of peace and nuclear past February 19, 2016 DOUGLAS SMITH The Advertiser
- Former atomic bomb test site, Maralinga, proposed for nuclear waste dump (subscribers only)
A SCULPTURE representing the Aboriginal people of the Maralinga Lands is being sent from Adelaide to Nagasaki as a symbol of peace, cultural exchange and their nuclear pasts.
The sculpture of a coolamon dish has left for Japan to be placed in the Nagasaki Peace Memorial Park, which commemorates the atomic bombing of the city on August 9, 1945, when about 73,000 people died.
The Aboriginal people of the Maralinga Lands were subjected to radioactive contamination following British nuclear testing at the site between 1956 to 1963.
The art exchange was organised through international group Nuclear Futures, founded by Professor Paul Brown to support indigenous people worldwide by expressing the legacy of the atomic age through creative arts projects.
Prof Brown first got together with a group of creative artists at the 2002 Adelaide Festival, where ideas were generated for cultural exchange projects.
“I was a member of a team of artists who came from all around Australia for the festival to develop some projects, and out of all that came lots of ideas, a program of arts projects that would run over several years, so that’s what we’re doing now,” Prof Brown said.
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