On the semiotics of a nuclear archive

"Unknown lady in the radiation department"; "dancing couple in costume"; "damage to a waste drum"; "retiree send-off"; "lead shielding"; "burnt-out glovebox"; "scorpion with microchip"; these are just some of the singular captions accompanying the archival photographs from Germany's first major nuclear research facility. In 1956, professional photographers began making an on-site record of procedures at the Nuclear Research Center Karlsruhe (KfK). In 2017, the decision was made to digitize 10% of this visual archive.

Using current concerns about the whereabouts of contaminated nuclear waste as a springboard, this publication brings together over 30 viewpoints from the realms of art, sociology, politics and science, as well as the accounts of people directly involved with the facility. 10% provides a unique visualization of nuclear research.