Nuclear Memory in Culture and Art

This article examines the concept of nuclear memory as a complex, multigenerational cultural process that intertwines technological, social, moral, political, and existential dimensions. Nuclear memory encompasses not only factual documentation of nuclear events and their consequences, but also emotional narratives, collective imaginaries, and artistic forms of engagement, including socially engaged and activist art practices. Applying Tony Perrine’s typology, four primary memory strategies can be identified: reconstructive, repressive, traumatic, and apocalyptic, each of which shapes different ways of remembering and interpreting nuclear history. In addition, four principal types of nuclear memory art can be identified: documentary, activist, personal, and experimental, which together create a diverse field of cultural expression. The analysis emphasizes that nuclear art not only reflects the anxieties of the atomic age but also actively participates in shaping public discourse. It fulfills ethical, educational, and reflective functions, enabling the reinterpretation of the past and fostering social awareness and responsibility and intergenerational dialogue about the future, especially in the context of ongoing global nuclear risks and collective memory transmission.