Doomsday is part of Mass Extermination, a work-in-progress series that explores the contemporary myth that only Twinkies, Cher, and cockroaches could survive an apocalypse. The work asks: What if we took the cockroach seriously? In its desperation to endure nuclear fallout, IN-TECHS—Devin’s fictional tech company—constructs a bunker as a last line of defense. However, this bunker is not a sanctuary; it is a tomb, modeled after the Sedan Crater, the largest human-made crater in the United States, formed by a 1962 nuclear detonation at the Nevada National Security Site. The test released more radioactive fallout over U.S. residents than any other nuclear detonation in history.

The creation of Doomsday began with satellite imagery of the Sedan Crater, which was converted into an alpha map—a grayscale image where tonal variations represent changes in elevation, with darker areas indicating deeper regions and lighter areas marking higher points. This map was used to generate a 3D terrain model in Blender. The digital model was then CNC-machined from high-density urethane (HDU) foam, post-processed, and airbrushed to replicate the original alpha map. 

Feb. 22 - Mar. 22, 2025

Phase Gallery | Los Angeles, CA

Documentation:

Photo: Phase Gallery | Ewa Słapa