The Atomic Now

The Atomic Now: Aesthetics and Technopolitics in the Nuclear Age Keynote Speakers: Michaël Ferrier and Hikaru Fuji With Tom Cinq-Mars, Eric Disbro, Hannah Holtzman, Anne-Gaëlle Saliot, Brigitte Stepanov The Atomic Now explores how the nuclear has shaped modern life, at once invisible and hyper-visible, an existential threat and a cultural obsession. The urgency of this inquiry is underscored by the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese hibakusha movement, at a moment many describe as a "nuclear renaissance": new energy projects are being launched, nuclear escalation looms in Ukraine and the Middle East, and atomic imagery resurfaces in global culture, from Nolan's Oppenheimer to the hit series Fallout. This project examines how the atom opened an era where scientific discovery and technological power irrevocably altered humanity, sparking artistic, philosophical, and political responses. By bridging philosophy, literature, cinema, visual art, and environmental critique, The Atomic Now asks how the nuclear archive forces us to rethink colonialism, sovereignty, and ecological futures.