This exhibition investigated the legacy of the Cold War in Northern Scotland as it exists both physically in the landscape, and in memory. Bringing together work across sculpture, photography, film, and sound, we tried to encourage a different understanding of Scotland’s remote north through a consideration of the area’s historic significance as a new Front Line for defence against the perceived Soviet threat in the Cold War era.

 

The title references both nuclear exchange, a term used to describe the firing of nuclear weapons, but also the exchange of memories and recollections that are at the centre of the artists’ collaborative work.  

 

This exhibition aimed to draw attention to the questions that Cold War era history and the nuclear issue raise. We brought together work from the project Recount  to provide a setting for visitors to share their thoughts about our Cold War histories and perceptions of our nuclear future.

 

We invited viewers to take part in a dialogue about experiences and perceptions of this period. We held a "Cold War Memories and Futures" workshop on Saturday 14th February when we invited participants to add their voice to the exhibition. Through conversation and through writing this workshop explored memories of the Cold War period and their continued resonances today.

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Davy Inkster created the full scale model of the Sumburgh ROC Post in order for us to exhibit the glow in the dark knitted covers we had designed for the original sites in Shetland. Full recorded interviews played on iPods and four glow in the dark torches were available for visitors to use.