Onur Gökmen's Exhibition 'Subsoil' Explores Radioactive Tea Contamination After Chernobyl

The exhibition 'Subsoil' by artist Onur Gökmen is currently on view at Salt Galata. This presentation is part of the Salt Artistic Research and Production Grant Program, which is supported by the BBVA Foundation. Gökmen's work investigates a significant but often neglected environmental incident in Turkey's history: the radioactive contamination of tea from the Black Sea region following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident. After the disaster, a research team from Middle East Technical University, which included the artist's parents, İnci and Ali Gökmen, conducted studies to assess the impact of radioactive fallout on local tea crops. Their findings were documented in a report and submitted to government authorities. However, official responses at the time downplayed the severity of the contamination and associated health risks, largely due to concerns about economic and social stability. The exhibition revisits this episode, highlighting the intersection of environmental science, institutional history, and public discourse in Turkey.