1s White 1s Black

A video installation commemorating the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

A single second was enough to reach the zero degree of humanity.
A single second was enough to hear the most terrifying sound of the century.
A single second was enough for the hands of every clock to stop.

Time itself was halted — that riotous second etched forever into the mind of modern humanity. A moment whose violence defies the limits of language and image. The world’s image changed irreversibly after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and a new kind of fear was born.

Decades have passed, memories have faded, yet something unsettling and deeply visual continues to grow within us. How long will the war-driven mentality of humankind endure? When will humanity finally rest its head on the pillow of peace? We do not know.

Still, we keep hope alive — in our minds, in our social and cultural actions, and in our shared home on this planet.

Music: Excerpts from “Sonata II for Piano and Persian Instruments” composed by Alireza Mashayekhi, performed by Farimah Ghavamsadri and the Iranian Orchestra for New Music. From the album “Celebration” (Hermes Records), remixed by Ramin Sadighi.