INVENTORS / SCIENTISTS — OPPENHEIMER

The sculpture is part of the Inventors/Scientists series (including also Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin and others) in which David Černý explores the ambivalence of scientific and technological innovation. Robert Oppenheimer (1904–1967) was an American theoretical physicist, widely known as the “father of the atomic bomb” for his role as director of the Los Alamos Laboratory during the Manhattan Project in World War II. Oppenheimer’s intellectual life extended far beyond physics, embracing poetry, mysticism, philosophy, and classical literature alongside his scientific work, a sensibility famously expressed in his well‑known quotation from the Bhagavad Gita: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”. Fully aware of the risk of global catastrophe posed by nuclear weapons, Oppenheimer later spoke out against their proliferation. As a result, during the McCarthy era he became the target of political persecution, an experience that profoundly affected his career and public standing. David said: “For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the questions surrounding the use of the atomic bomb. I’ve been to the museum about the development of the atomic bomb in Los Alamos twice. It’s a fascinating exhibit”.