Hilda Hellström is part of the group exhibition Fascinace WN-I0407-1 at Galerie 35m2 in Prague. The exhibition is curated by Tea Záchová and reflects opinions, either of a positive or negative character, regarding nuclear power stations.
"The Swedish artist Hilda Hellström currently lives and works in Copenhagen. She was fascinated by the powerful story of the Fukushima disaster, which was triggered by an earthquake, with an impact not only on the power station itself, but also on the local population, animals and land. In 2012 she embarked on a journey to Japan and established contact with a local rice grower and farmer who decided to return to the risk radioactive zone, because it was here, specifically in the city of Tomioko, that he had his entire life – his home, job, animals etc. Her work, entitled Materiality of a Natural Disaster, presents a testimony on the everyday life of a farmer taking care of the fragments of what remained after the catastrophe. It narrates his personal story via the general genesis of the second largest nuclear accident in the modern world. This sensitive documentary illustrates his care for the animals, as well as the likelihood that every day they will die of starvation in this ghost town. We see footage of devastated fields, animal carcasses and the story of Naoto Matsumura, who speaks of disinformation regarding the situation that has ensued. An integral part of the video is a collection of clay vases made from the contaminated soil that the artist and Mr Matsumura dug up together. According to the authorities, this clay, from which the artist has fashioned functional and decorative bowls, shall be unusable for at least 30 years to come. The works are presented in a large-format photograph in Galerie 35M2. This is the first time Hilda Hellström has exhibited her works within the Czech context." (Excerpt from press release.)
For more information: 35m2.cz
