SHOHEI KATAYAMA

This installation explores the environmental impact of radiation released during the Fukushima nuclear disaster, focusing on the presence of cesium-137 found in California wines. Though no longer a health threat, this synthetic isotope remains a persistent trace of industrial trauma. The main space is filled with water and darkened to create an atmosphere of quiet observation. Suspended epoxy forms embedded with strontium aluminate emit a soft glow and reflect across the water’s surface, producing a galaxy-like environment that evokes the sensation of floating in space.

​

In an adjacent room, sea sponges arranged to resemble scholar stones are dusted with strontium aluminate and illuminated with care. A separate space features circular glowing forms that appear to float and rotate within a larger frame. Bioluminescent algae cultured on glass respond to falling seawater with intermittent light. Together, these elements reflect on the integration of synthetic material into natural systems. The work invites viewers to consider how physical evidence of historical events becomes absorbed into the rhythms of ecology and time.

​

Material: Strontium Aluminate, dinoflagellates, dimethyl sulfide, seawater, epoxy, sea sponges, motion sensor. 

​

Location: Powder Room, 201 N. Braddock.

​

Photography by: Michael Charles Neumann