The Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC has announced a group exhibition that will open in time to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2011 disaster that saw a horrifying earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear meltdown hit Japan. 

A Future for Memory: Art and Life After the Great East Japan Earthquake will feature works by eight artists, groups and institutions from Japan, tracing the material and intangible effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake. It runs from February 11 to September 5.

“A Future for Memory is an important opportunity for those of us living in Canada to consider the effects of natural disasters and reflect on how we are all connected globally,” says curator Fuyubi Nakamura in a press release. “The exhibition is derived from my personal experiences in the disaster region. I spent a few months in the Miyagi Prefecture, which suffered the largest number of casualties, and I have returned every year since. I worked particularly closely on rescuing and cleaning photographs found amid the debris, an experience that led me to reconsider the relationship between memory and objects.”

“The Great East Japan Earthquake left both visible and invisible fears in its wake," Nakamura adds. "In a way, these effects are not unlike what we’re experiencing today from the COVID-19 pandemic. No matter the type of disaster, recovery is a long and challenging process. Art can be a crucial agent in revitalizing stricken communities, providing a potent opportunity for reflection and creating a shared sense of hope."

The exhibition will features works by Masao Okabe, Chihiro Minato, Atsunobu Katagiri, the Rias Ark Museum of Art, the center for remembering 3.11, the Lost & Found Project, the “Lost Homes” Scale Model Restoration Project, and the Tsunami Ladies film project team.

For more info visit the MOA at UBC website.