Fiona Amundsen: The Imperial Body

 ‘If I don’t come home, I’ll see you at Yasukuni.’
Such was the phrase uttered by World War Two soldiers and pilots to their families as they went into battle.

Established in 1869, Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo is dedicated to people who died whilst serving the Emperor and whose souls are thereby enshrined as deities. Family members visit to mourn their deceased loved ones and ultimately, be reminded about the atrocities of war.

Fiona Amundsen’s visual project aims to provoke new experiences of historicised narratives that both pay homage to trauma, but resist holding histories as static or fixed.