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Julian Charrière in Faire Face au Nucléaire

Through the works of ten Belgian and international artists, the exhibition explores the challenges of civil and military nuclear power. At the crossroads of art and information, it creates a dialogue between the realistic representations these artists have created in photography and video, attempting to lift the veil on an industry that is contradictory in many respects. Nuclear energy is an essential component in the fight against climate change, due to its low greenhouse gas emissions. It offers a low-carbon source of electricity, an alternative to fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. However, aspects such as the management of radioactive waste and the risks associated with accidents remain legitimate points of discussion and concern. Nearly forty years after the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine on April 26, 1986, this exhibition prompts reflection on the scientific understanding of radioactivity and on the even more complex field of military nuclear power. The nuclear paradox is addressed by the artists in the form of traces, photographic imprints. Just as much as its documentary qualities, photography, as a form of imprint, allowed them to record the elusive effects of radioactivity. Its invisibility is thwarted by the reaction of the chemical components of the photographic film used by many. Beyond its measurement, the inscription of radioactivity appears in the very materiality of the image. The human victims also find a voice there, a voice so rarely heard outside the realm of artistic expression. A space within which the terms of a public debate are laid bare.