«Invasive Species» is a single-channel immersive video that sheds light on the ecological and cultural destruction caused by the US military's nuclear tests in the Bikini Atoll in 1958. These tests—part of Operation Hardtack—were each named after North American tree species. This naming ironically highlights their similarity to biological invasive species, which are non-native organisms that disrupt local ecosystems. The video parallels the cinematic study of atomic bombs with the way 20th-century plant physiologists used film to analyze plant growth stages. Multiple camera angles, lenses, film stocks, and exposures were used to capture the detailed 'physiology' of these explosions. «Invasive Species» explores these tests through archival films, depicting them as sequential 'section cuts' that reveal the internal structures of five bombs, thereby illustrating the invasive and destructive nature of these nuclear tests.

SPECIFICATIONS

Single channel video with stereo sound (4'58")

5820x1020 @ 30fps

Created for the custom projection system at Icebox Project Space in Philadelphia.

[Link to video on Vimeo]