‘NUCLEAR FUN: BANALIZATION OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH DISPLAY’ (ICOHTEC, PORTO, 26-30 JULY 2016)

Dear colleagues,

We are preparing a symposium proposal for the next ICOHTEC congress (Porto, 26-30 July 2016: http://www.icohtec.org/annual-meeting-2016.html) on the banalization of nuclear technologies through display (see abstract below).

If you are interested in participating in the session, please send a proposal consisting of an abstract (250 words maximum) and a one-page cv before January 18th to: jva@fct.unl.pt and jsastrejuan@fc.ul.pt.
Best wishes and apologies for cross-posting,
Jaume Sastre-Juan (Centro Interuniversitário de História da Ciência e da Tecnologia - Universidade de Lisboa / http://ciuhct.org/en/jaume-sastre-juan)
&
Jaume Valentines-Álvarez (Centro Interuniversitário de História da Ciência e da Tecnologia  - Universidade Nova de Lisboa / http://ciuhct.org/en/jaume-valentines-alvarez)

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NUCLEAR FUN? BANALIZATION OF NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH DISPLAY
Even though the world is more nuclearized than ever (at least in terms of nuclear power), the public debate, the perception of risk and the political contestation are substantially lower than decades ago, even after Fukushima. It seems as if an increasing part of society got used, or forgot, or does not care anymore about the issue. Many factors have contributed to this process, of course. This panel will address one of them by exploring how have heritage policies and public display of nuclear technologies contributed to it.
Many times, the politics of nuclear display have historically had less to do with the awe of technological sublime than with an agnotological, ludic, or trivializing approach. An example in this regard could be Wunderland Kalkar, in Germany, an amusement park built on the site of a nuclear power plant, where visitors can have fun by riding a huge carousel inside the cooling tower, decorated with mountains and a blue sky.

This panel aims at gathering case-studies that illuminate how have public display and heritage policies historically been strategies for banalization, oblivion or familiarization with dreadful and risky technologies. The case-studies will address questions such as:  How are nuclear technologies re-signified through display in different contexts and periods? What is the role of fun and entertainment in nuclear displays? What is the role of participation processes around and within exhibitions? How is ignorance and oblivion constructed in parallel with memory? What alternative and non-banalizing displays of nuclear technologies are there?