Part III Discordant Harmony

In observing the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art is holding a trilogy of exhibitions examining Hiroshima from three perspectives—its past as a city destroyed by an atomic bomb, its path of reconstruction, and its present and future.

“Discordant Harmony” aims to widen the opportunities for dialogue concerning the ever-changing state of “harmony” in the East Asian region via artworks, research and other activities.

East Asia is the scene of lively and mutually attractive and influential personal and cultural exchanges, but at the same time it is a region beset by never-ending political conflicts. The “harmony” of this exhibition is a movement consciously seeking to build a cooperative framework, and at times can manifest as pressure in opposition to diversity. At this exhibition we view the works created by the artists as mirrors reflecting an age in the midst of change, and through artistic expression closely linked to society we seek to explore the here and now of East Asia from the ground of Hiroshima.

Just as a single historical phenomenon can be understood diferently if viewed from different positions, today there is an increasing demand for the imagination to recognize and accept that there are diverse perspectives on all things. In Hiroshima, where the ravages of the A-bomb attack are part of the city’s memory, by looking back on the past and thinking about the future, we will consider through art the issues affecting society today that will help us cultivate new relationships.