Chiho Harazaki - Tape Art - Hiroshima Series

Hiroshima 8:14 a.m., 08/06/1945
18" x 25"
Electrical tape on paper

In 1945, Hiroshima was a city of both industrial and military significance. When the atomic bomb was dropped on the morning of August 6, 1945, at 8:16 a.m., there were 350,000 people living in the city. The bomb caused massive destruction to the city and its people, who seconds before had been going about their daily activities much like us today, on a particularly clear and sunny Monday morning.

Hiroshima 8:17 a.m., 08/06/1945
18" x 25"
Electrical tape on paper

Hiroshima, Black rain, 8:46 a.m. 08/06/1945
84" x 84"
Electrical tape on paper

Black rain results from residual radioactive dust and ash following a nuclear blast. It is a dark, oily, highly dangerous form of radioactive contamination. Black rain began falling in Hiroshima 20 to 30 minutes after the explosion. It stained skin, clothing, and buildings. Those who ingested or came into contact with it suffered from hair loss, severe bleeding from gums, and acute leukemia. Water was polluted, and every fish in the river died. People that had not been present for the bombing got radiation poisoning after drinking well water or consuming contaminated food from the area. More than 70 years later, some survivors are still battling illness.