Christian CND commemorates Hiroshima and Nagasaki with Art Installation at Manchester Cathedral

A poignant and beautiful art installation is currently running at Manchester Cathedral, to 15 June, to commemorate the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The installation honours the victims of nuclear weapons and offers a message of hope for a peaceful future.

Specially commissioned by the Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, for last year's 80th anniversary of the bombings, the artwork was created by artist Leah Hislop and is available to view whenever the cathedral is open. Composed of dark black and vibrant coloured origami cranes, the sculpture encourages reflection on the human cost of war and our shared responsibility to seek peace.

Leah explained: "My commission for Christian CND was inspired by the words of Tomoko Watanabe, co-founder of the Green Legacy Hiroshima. In an interview regarding the aftermath of the bombing, she describes speaking to its survivors about the devastation of the landscape. They thought the land would remain colourless and barren for a long time. However, amongst the devastated black and grey landscape, the vivid colours of life did start to grow back and this inspired a sense of hope to the people."

The work was displayed last summer in Coventry Cathedral. Its Dean, the Very Revd John Witcombe, said: "With its combination of dark black and vibrant colours, fashioned out of peace cranes, it powerfully leads us into repentance and hope for the world, and inspires us to move forward on the journey towards reconciliation."

Martin Tiller, Co-Chair of Christian CND, added: "Manchester, Coventry and many other European cities still have traumatic memories of aerial bombardment during the Second World War, but the experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki went far beyond even these horrors. Leah's artwork perfectly echoes this story by reflecting on the effect of the atom bombs, and the new hope we all need to find. It's as relevant now as ever."

LINK

Christian CND: www.christiancnd.org.uk