Two nuclear weapons were detonated over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945. ‘I Saw the World End’ is a response to those precise moments of destruction from both a British and Japanese perspective.
Created by contemporary artist Es Devlin, working in collaboration with her long-term studio colleague Machiko Weston, this digital artwork has been specially commissioned by IWM.
I Saw The World End
Content warning: the following audio contains graphic language and first-hand accounts so discretion is advised.
Voices of War
‘I went up to the hillside and took a panorama view of the city and found the whole city on fire.’ Kiyoshi Tanimoto, Japanese Methodist minister.
Listen to first-hand testimonies from the perspectives of those who witnessed what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
‘I Saw the World End’ created by Es Devlin and Machiko Weston, and Voices of War form part of an IWM programme to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Victory 75 invites reflection on the momentous events that led to the culmination of the conflict and questions the fundamental concept of “victory” when it comes to war. Find out more.