Fallout (Mururoa) [2019] was shown as part of Exposure, Massey Universities graduate exhibition in Wellington, New Zealand (02/11/19-16/11/19).
Fallout is defined as “radioactive particles that are carried into the atmosphere after a nuclear explosion and gradually fall back as dust or in precipitation”. This definition clearly illustrates one of the most problematic features of atmospheric nuclear testing. It can also be defined as “the adverse results of a situation or action”. Both of these definitions hold significance when it comes to the artwork above. The second part of the title, (Mururoa 1973) refers to a documentary about a New Zealand protest boat called ‘The Fri’, which was sailed to Mururoa to protest the atmospheric nuclear tests in 1973.
Reflecting on his French/Pakeha heritage, Carlier developed this work through research into France's historical presence in the pacific, which inevitably led him to France's nuclear testing in French Polynesia during the 1970s. Created entirely from found footage, the work aims to draw viewers in based on the sheer beauty of the imagery, and then to motivate further engagement and learning upon the understanding of the origins of the footage.