ATLANTA — An audience at the Ferst Center for the Arts sat nearly speechless Tuesday night after experiencing the bomb, an immersive film installation that examines the global nuclear weapons threat through images, sound, and art.

Presented by Georgia Tech Arts, the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, and Spelman College, the Sept. 16 screening kicked off the free exhibition of the bomb, which runs through Oct. 16 at the Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech.

The evening featured a panel discussion moderated by WABE host Rose Scott with special guests including former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, Smriti Keshari, creator of the bomb, and Dr. Rachel Whitlark, political scientist and associate professor of international affairs in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech.

Audience members described the experience as “thought-provoking, eerie, enlightening, scary, [and] sad.” The film juxtaposed synchronized military marches from nations including Russia and China with footage of nuclear detonations and their devastating aftermath.

Nunn, who has spent decades working to reduce nuclear risks, spoke about his time in the Senate and urged continued public discussion and reform. “We must never let this conversation go dormant,” he said, stressing the ongoing relevance of nuclear disarmament.

Whitlark echoed that sentiment, noting her role in keeping the issue alive in the classroom. “It is my responsibility to ensure the next generation understands the stakes,” she told the audience.

Keshari shared that her creative spark for the bomb came from journalist Eric Schlosser’s book Command and Control, which chronicles America’s nuclear weapons program and its near-disasters.

The panel and screening marked the Atlanta debut of the exhibition, which launched at Princeton University in 2024 and has since traveled to the University of British Columbia, University of Denver, and University of New Mexico. Georgia Tech’s presentation includes an additional graphic narrative on a nuclear close call produced by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, alongside student art exploring the theme “activism through art.”

Throughout the exhibit’s run, the Sam Nunn School will host additional panels and guest lectures focused on nuclear issues. The exhibition is free and open to the public.