Made in Occupied Japan
An 8’x16’ LED array of 154 illuminated figurines, cast from originals produced in Occupied Japan in the late 1940s and early 50s. The array of figurines emits shifting patterns of colour and light generated, in part, from low-resolution video clips of American-made documentaries on post-war Japan. For North Americans in the 1950s, “Made in Occupied Japan” was synonymous with cheaply made goods produced in postwar Japan during the seven-year occupation. Products exported from Occupied Japan to North America included kitchenware and crudely made copies of European ceramic figurines. The “Made in Occupied Japan” insignia found on the bottom of these objects, now considered collectables, is a potent reminder of a much more ominous past.
A second 8'x16' wall contains a constellation of lights that map out the locations of nuclear weapon storage sites and nuclear accidents worldwide. The colours and patterns of light emitting from the 154 individual LEDs coincide identically with the array of figurines.