The Mission of the Simnuke Project

The Simnuke Project aims to make an artistic and historical difference in four key areas:

1. Portray: Using modern and safe flame effect technology, the closest thing to a nuclear event that most Americans on US soil could experience will be created. By taking accurate blast radius and weapon-efficiency measurements, we will provide a small group of people the experience of Trinity, precisely 60 years ago.

2. Reclaim: We strive to reclaim some of the destructive energy generated by the nuclear age, using it instead to promote awareness and peace. By taking matters into our own artistic hands, we own some of the light that has cast a shadow over our lives. This project will benefit the public through education. On this historic anniversary, energy that has been forgotten will be brought forth. The weapons of war that American generations have paid for will be brought to light – a mirror to the military-industrial complex and its effects on our lives will shine.

3. Interpret and Protest: In addition to our simulation of a nuclear event, we draw upon the artist community to interpret the bomb, nuclear energy, and their effects on society in their own ways. We create the space for these works to thrive: either in the desert around the event itself, or grounded in the gallery space. Bringing these works to light is an act of protest, in an attempt to awaken the public to the persistent threat of the world’s nuclear stockpiles.

4. Peace and Healing: Bringing the events long forgotten after 60 years is a tool for healing. Viewers will reflect on how the bomb culture has affected them and the world that they live in. It is our hope that by creating a close connection with the destructive nature of nuclear technologies, peace will become the higher option.

The Simnuke Project is performance art. It is protest in response to nuclear weapons. It is a commemoration of Trinity - a moment in history that forever changed the world. We will hold a mirror up to this subconscious reality through a real life portrayal of the visceral experience of a nuclear device detonation. On all levels - as art and as historical statement - every aspect of the Simnuke Project aims to raise awareness and heal. By simulating the experience of nuclear detonation, the implications of nuclear weapons become vividly clear.

In creating a huge mushroom cloud of fire, we seek to reclaim some of the limitless destructive energy unleashed 60 years ago. By inviting other artists to interpret the event in a gallery exhibition, other pieces will further this conversation beyond the Trinity anniversary itself. The Trinity Memorial Grove will leave a lasting legacy, preserving the awareness raised by the project and helping to heal the environment.

It is our hope that no one will ever again have to experience the real thing.