Transit Images
Growing up in the 70s and 80s, the threat of nuclear war was ever present. It was the era of the 4-minute warning and in 1980 the Government published the information pamphlet Protect and Survive. Although the nuclear threat waned with the end of the Cold War, the present world order has heightened the perceived probability of an apocalyptic event or dystopian outcome. Nuclear attack, AI, Hyper Surveillance and Climate Change all engender feelings of uncertainty for the future.
Atlas Survival Shelters sell concrete dome bunkers to protect against natural and manmade disasters. With a choice of floor plans, intriguingly, the utopian decision-making associated with buying a new home becomes fused with the dystopian fears that influenced the initial purchase. But is this escaping a dystopian now only to re-emerge into a dystopian future? Or is the bunker our utopian location, safe from either possibility?
We create worlds within worlds and the utopian and dystopian interpretations merge, making it difficult to discern what is real. Perceived threats may turn out to be benign and threats we ignore may well bring about slow-moving disasters. The bunker door becomes a portal or transit location to another reality where escape from the real world, delaying the inevitable or hope for the future exist.
Transit – Installation Video