Art AtThe Diefenbunker

The Diefenbunker was originally commissioned in 1959 by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, as part of continuity of government planning during the height of the Cold War. Designated as the Central Emergency Government Headquarters (CEGHQ), the bunker was intended to house 535 key government and military officials — including the Governor General, the Prime Minister, and members of Cabinet — for a 30-day lockdown period in the event of a nuclear attack on Canada. The bunker would allow the government to operate safely underground in order to assist with the governance and rebuilding of the country. The bunker was built to withstand the force of a 5-megaton nuclear bomb from a distance of 1.8 kilometres away. 

Olivia Johnston and Neeko Paluzzi are 2025 Artists-in-Residence. Their residency will transform the bunker with a bold, multi-level, mixed-media exhibition that explores the failures of globalization in the post-Cold War era.