One Million Years
Jann HOEFER & Martin LAMBERTY
Twenty-seven-thousand cubic meters of highly radioactive waste – produced by a few people in a brief period of time. The government of the Federal Republic of Germany is looking for a permanent subterranean repository intended to protect humanity from this nuclear waste for a million years.
A million years. That is a period reaching far into the future of humanity and one that can be compared with evolutionary orders of magnitude. It will be necessary to provide communication on this period of time, the location, and its contents.
The storage of waste beneath the surface of the earth represents a paradox return of resources. In the sense of extractivism, it reveals the human understanding of the planet Earth as a repository. Nuclear waste has become part of our modern heritage – a cultural heritage challenging our social values and responsibilities. Not only technical solutions are required, but also new forms of political engagement and resistance to common vanities.
curator Christel BOGET
partner Nikon