Salt. Clay. Rock.

In view of the shifting geopolitical balance of power and the massive repercussions this is having on energy policies and our planet’s environmental future, the nGbK presents “Salt. Clay. Rock”, a project that highlights current local perspectives on nuclear energy production on a global scale. The title of this two-year, international artistic research project refers to the three geological materials which are currently considered the safest for storing radioactive waste underground: salt, clay and rock. The project spotlights the supposedly democratic decision-making processes for choosing a permanent nuclear waste storage site in Germany, as well as plans for the expansion of the nuclear power plant in the Hungarian city of Paks (PAKS II), where the debate on final storage is still very much unresolved. In cooperation with various interest groups at each location, the project explores the overarching issue of how life with nuclear power and nuclear waste impacts the population and what the prospect of long-term transition to renewable energy means.

Field research conducted in Hungary and Germany will serve as the basis for six commissioned, site-specific works to be presented alongside other international pieces at the nGbK at the end of 2024. The exhibition will also document all the carbon-emission reducing measures which the participants agreed to implement as part of their bilateral collaboration during the project period.