NO CONTROL: AI FREEDOM
2024
AI Freedom
HAPPY HAPPY DEMON
2021 - PRESENT
Core Work Works //
A Manhattan Project
Medium: Mixed Media (Photography, Wheat Paste, Street Art)
Core Works Works // A Manhattan Project is a provocative and thought-provoking installation that delves into the complex and harrowing themes of nuclear proliferation, nuclear terror, and the pervasive sense of fear they engender. This work combines the raw immediacy of street art with the evocative power of photography, all layered with wheatpaste, to create a visceral tableau that confronts the viewer with the potential consequences of humanity's pursuit of nuclear capabilities.
Central to the piece is the portrayal of the Demon Core, a plutonium core that was part of America's atomic bomb project and which claimed the lives of scientists, including Louis Slotin. This malevolent symbol of nuclear peril is represented not just as a physical object but as a metaphor for the ever-present threat of nuclear catastrophe that hangs over humanity. The core's ominous presence is amplified by the surrounding depictions of scientists such as Edward Teller, John von Neumann, and J. Robert Oppenheimer, whose contributions to nuclear technology are depicted in a complex interplay of admiration and foreboding.
Photographic elements capture the intense, haunted expressions of these scientists, suggesting the deep moral dilemmas and the weight of responsibility they bore. Their images are fragmented and overlaid with abstract street art motifs, representing the chaos and fragmentation of ethical boundaries in the face of groundbreaking scientific advancements.
Louis Slotin, known as the first victim of the Demon Core, is featured prominently, serving as a poignant reminder of the human cost of nuclear research. His story is a tragic narrative thread within the artwork, symbolizing the fine line between discovery and destruction.
CWW//AMH serves as a stark reminder of the grave implications of nuclear proliferation and the shadow of terror it casts over global consciousness. Through its blend of mediums and its impactful imagery, the artwork invites viewers to reflect on the fragility of human life and the shared responsibility to prevent such futures from becoming our reality. The piece is not only a commentary on the potential for destruction inherent in nuclear armament but a reflection on the power of the nation state and its capability of destruction.