If you’ve watched the new HBO series Chernobyl, or you’re just a history nerd like me, there’s probably a part of you that’d love to go visit the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. But obviously Ukraine is really far away, it’s expensive AF and there’s an eerie 30km exclusion zone that’s still too dangerous to enter. So most of us probably won’t ever get to see it.
But if you’re in Melbourne next week you might get the chance to immerse yourself in the eeriness of Chernobyl through P1xels‘ Alpha Beta Gamma exhibition.
Melbourne photographer P1xels is launching his free immersive exhibition in the CBD next week so you can see inside the exclusion zone without the risk of exposure to dangerous levels of radiation. The exhibition illustrates how nature has reclaimed the area since the tragic 1986 disaster, and features photographs from his overnight stay in the exclusion zone,
It has been 33 years since the horrific 1986 nuclear disaster that turned Chernobyl into a ghost town, and it is believed that it’ll take a whopping 22,000 years for the radiation levels to completely return to normal.
While Chernobyl has always been a topic of popular interest, the recent HBO series featuring Stellan Skarsgard reignited the public curiosity in the horrible tragedy.
The walk-through exhibition includes photography, light installations and soundscapes as well as a dodgem car installation that mimics the abandoned amusement park in Chernobyl.
Visitors can also take part in an “experience space” that aims to recreate the accident with lights, sounds and images and without the radiation and horror.
The exhibition will also include a presentation from the artist, detailing his experiences during his overnight stay in the exclusion zone.
Alpha Beta Gamma will open at 6pm on August 9 and run daily until August 16. Due to the nature of the exhibition, the exact location won’t be disclosed until 24 hours before it opens, but we know it’ll be somewhere in the CBD. There is also a bar, so grab a bunch of your friends and have a look at this truly unique exhibition.
The exhibition is free to the public, but you do need to register your interest to reserve a ticket.
