The Subterranean Imprint Archive (2021)

• 85%
• 2021
• Francois Knoetze
• Amy Louise Wilson

It is general knowledge that the Yanks dropped Little Boy on Hiroshima, but where did the uranium come from that gave it its power? From the Congo, explains this VR experience that takes you to the Shinkolobwe mine where Congolese miners excavate the radiation-rich material without protective equipment. This marks the start of a journey into deeply buried histories: alternatives to the optimistic, post-colonial Western perspectives. Underground proves to be a memory palace of sorts – the various spaces providing contact with history. Grasping objects from that world gives rise to rich collages of archival materials, personal statements, dreams and memories. In this way, the work – a collaboration between historians from various African countries and creative makers – poses the question: what is the true toll of progress?