'Fukushima'
Charnobyling Festival 2017
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone - abbadoned town of Prypiat / Ukraine

In 1986 in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant occurred a disaster. A steam explosion lifted the 1000 ton cover plate off the top of the reactor, releasing a large amount of radiation into the atmosphere. Twenty-eight reactor staff died, 115 000 local people were evacuated immediately, the government subsequently resettled another 220,000 people. About 200,000 ‚liquidators’ were involved in the clean-up the pollution and received high doses of radiation. Officials believe the accident was responsible for nearly 7,000 cases of thyroid cancer among population of Ukraine in the next years. Until today, it is forbidden to live in the Zone.

The Charnobyl Disaster is one of only two nuclear accidents classified as a level 7 event (the maximum classification) on the International Nuclear Event Scale. The other being the Fukushima disaster in 2011. Although the Chernobyl accident was well known, people missed to recognize the hazardous effects of Fukushima. Due to the earthquake and followed tsunami nuclear reactor caused the largest radiation release into the Pacific Ocean. For the next 6 years at least 150 tons of radioactive water daily have constantly leaked to the ocean. The pollution increases each year, affecting the marine life detrimentally. Yet, the source of this leak cannot be accessed by humans or robots  because is extremely radioactive.

The Fukushima disaster is still in progress.

The installation 'Fukushima' was made in the amusement park of the abandoned town of Pripyat in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The park was to be open for Labour Day in 1986. The explosion occurred four days earlier. The park was never opened.