A-bomb survivors in Japan voice anti-nuclear message
HIROSHIMA, Aug 5: Eighty years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, aging Japanese survivors are increasingly frustrated by growing nuclear threats and the acceptance of nuclear weapons by global leaders.
Over 200,000 people died by the end of 1945, with around 100,000 still alive.
Many survivors hid their experiences to protect themselves and their families from discrimination, while others could not talk about the trauma they suffered.
Some survivors have begun to speak out late in their lives, hoping to encourage others to push for the end of nuclear weapons.
Kunihiko Iida, 83, volunteers as a guide at Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park, aiming to raise awareness among foreigners and encourage others to push for nuclear disarmament.
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster has led to a surge in visitors to Hiroshima and Nagasaki peace museums, with many non-Japanese visitors. (AP)
Australian artist creates giant mural in rural North Dakota
MINOT (US), Aug 5: Artist Guido van Helten is creating a 360-degree mural on the former Union Silos in Minot, North Dakota, using old grain elevators as a vehicle to share stories and identity.
The mural, which is part of the landscape, is part of a series of commissions around Australia and the US.
Van Helten uses a mineral silicate paint formulated to absorb and bond with concrete, mixing tones specific to the wall’s color and subtly layering the work so it blends in.
He begins by meeting with residents to learn about a community and then spends months slowly transforming the largest structure in a small town.
The Minot elevator and silos were built in the 1950s and were an economic center for years before they ceased operations around the early 1990s.
The mural is entirely donation-funded, costing about USD 350,000, with about 85% of the funds already raised.
The mural is unique to Minot and North Dakota, and will soon be visible from almost anywhere in town. (AP)