THE CONSTRUCTION OF DESTRUCTION (Hibakujumoku) by Bojan Radovič
Selection of images from project Hibakujumoku (2014 - 2023)
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The Construction of DestructionThis title evokes the central paradox of the project: the quiet tension between survival and devastation, between memory and material. Drawing on the visual and symbolic presence of the hibakujumoku — the trees that withstood the atomic bombing of Hiroshima — the series explores how destruction can leave behind not only scars, but also structures, traces, and new meanings.
Using a hand-held scanner to intimately engage with the surface of these trees, the work constructs images that are not documentary in nature, but metaphorical. Each image emerges from a deeply personal process, echoing both the physical legacy of the bomb and the quiet resilience of life that endures. The Construction of Destruction invites the viewer to reflect on what remains after catastrophe — and what it means to rebuild, not in defiance of the past, but in conversation with it. |
Hibakujumoku is an ongoing photographic art project that began in 2014, when I visited Hiroshima for the first time. From the moment I arrived, I was struck by the city’s unique atmosphere, a combination of quiet resilience
and a powerful energy. It was as if the city itself was speaking to me, urging me to connect with its history and spirit. I had long felt a deep desire to visit, and the feeling I encountered there was something I could not ignore. This encounter sparked the beginning of my Hibakujumoku project, though it wasn’t until 2016 that I physically created my first piece. Over the years, I have returned to Hiroshima four more times, each visit deepening my connection to the place and expanding the vision of this work. During these visits, I was over and over fascinated by the hibakujumoku—the “A-bombed trees” that survived the atomic bombing of 1945. These trees, with their scars and resilience, became a central focus of my project. I chose to work with a hand scanner to capture these trees, as it allowed me to interact with their surfaces in a deeply personal way. This technique enabled me to touch the tree while simultaneously recording its “skin,” a tactile process that felt symbolic of both the destruction and survival of Hiroshima. The scanner’s imperfect quality was exactly what I wanted—it created abstract, metaphorical images that spoke more to emotion and memory than to documentary reality. The act of scanning also served as a kind of ritualized measuring of radiation, adding another layer of meaning to the work. It is not a literal or documentary representation, but a symbolic reconstruction—a creation emerging from destruction. The project continues to evolve with each new visit, bringing fresh ideas and insights, yet it has already been exhibited internationally and received attention for its emotional depth and conceptual richness. Hibakujumoku is still very much a work in progress,reflecting my ongoing journey with Hiroshima—a city of unimaginable loss and extraordinary resilience. Each image in this series is both a testament to the past and a meditation on the possibility of healing and transformation. October 2023 |
Memory. Imprints of Destruction and Rebellion of Life
(Jaka Babnik, Masaki Hirano, Bojan Radovič)
DUM Project Space, Ljubljana, Slovenia
26. 5. - 27. 5. 2017
(Jaka Babnik, Masaki Hirano, Bojan Radovič)
DUM Project Space, Ljubljana, Slovenia
26. 5. - 27. 5. 2017
Replica - solo exhibition
Galerija Jakopič, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Enterance to the exhibition Replica with three Hibakujumoku images (photo Matevž Paternoster)
Galerija Jakopič, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Enterance to the exhibition Replica with three Hibakujumoku images (photo Matevž Paternoster)
Hiroshima Project - solo exhibition
Galerija SPOT, Zagreb, Croatia
4. 3. - 22. 3. 2019
Two images from Hibakujumoku
Galerija SPOT, Zagreb, Croatia
4. 3. - 22. 3. 2019
Two images from Hibakujumoku
Hiroshima Project
Centre for Modern Arts -Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
26. 9. - 26. 10. 2017
Five images from Hibakujumoku project
Centre for Modern Arts -Montenegro, Podgorica, Montenegro
26. 9. - 26. 10. 2017
Five images from Hibakujumoku project
Bojan Radovič at work in Hiroshima
(photo by Ksenija Radovič Windischer)
(photo by Ksenija Radovič Windischer)
