Fading Sun is one of the most famous works by Estonian artist Ilmar Malin. In the early 1960s, the artist visited Soviet Uzbekistan, an area rich in uranium and a significant locale for Soviet nuclear testing. The painting expresses Malin’s deep interest in technology, science, and growing concerns for the environment. The black object at its centre hints at the catastrophic implications of nuclear power, with its hauntingly apocalyptic motif reminiscent of a nuclear mushroom cloud. Often described as surrealist, Malin’s works span across the mediums of painting, drawing, and collage. Many of his works are imbued with symbolic language that expresses his spiritual and philosophical musings on the cosmos and human existence.