10%: Concerning the Image Archive of a Nuclear Research Center

On the semiotics of a nuclear archive

Unknown lady in the radiation department ; dancing couple in costume ; damage to a waste drum ; retiree send-off ; lead shielding ; burnt-out glovebox ; scorpion with microchip ; these are just some of the singular captions accompanying the archival photographs from Germany’s first major nuclear research facility. In 1956, professional photographers began making an on-site record of procedures at the Nuclear Research Center Karlsruhe (KfK). In 2017, the decision was made to digitize 10% of this visual archive.

Using current concerns about the whereabouts of contaminated nuclear waste as a springboard, this publication brings together over 30 viewpoints from the realms of art, sociology, politics and science, as well as the accounts of people directly involved with the facility. 10% provides a unique visualization of nuclear research.