Mexican artists and curator protest against censorship at the Aichi Triennale

After a statue called “Statue of a Girl Of Peace” was removed from the Aichi Triennale , an art exhibition in Japan , three Mexican artists protested against censorship .

The “ Statue of a Girl Of Peace ” symbolizes the “comfort women”, a euphemism referring to women, many of them Korean , forced into the brothels before and during World War Two .

After the statue was removed from the exhibition several artists, including some from Mexico , signed a letter condemning the decision and in an act of solidarity, demanded the organizers to stop exhibiting their pieces. The statement was signed by several artists and curators , including Mexican artists Mónica Mayer and Pia Camil, as well as Mexican curator Pedro Reyes.

The Aichi Triennale is the most important art festival in Japan , explains Pedro Reyes , the only Mexican curator among the Japanese team.

Mónica Mayer

was present at the art fair a month before the statue was removed, where she exhibited her piece and organized a workshop to discuss sexual abuse . Moreover, Mayer explained that for her, the statue is not only linked to Japan and Korea : “That same gesture of sitting next no an empty chair reminds us of to violence , [human] trafficking , o f missing girls . It has to do with my reality, with problems we haven't gotten rid of in Mexico .”

Estimates vary, but historians say thousands of women may have been involved. There are currently 20 survivors registered with the South Korean government and the subject remains a sensitive one in both countries and elsewhere in Asia .

Japan

says the issue was settled by past agreements and apologies but many Koreans say Japan did not go far enough and have demanded further compensation for victims . The current flare-up over the issue comes during a trade dispute between the countries.

The controversial statue symbolizing “comfort women” was withdrawn from a Japanese art exhibition after organizers received security threats, amid a resurgence of tensions between Japan and South Korea rooted in their bitter wartime past.

The work was removed after it attracted “ terror threats ” via telephone and email as soon as it went on display this month at the Aichi Triennale art exhibition , Aichi Prefecture Governor Hideaki Omura told a news conference on August 3.

“There have been a growing number of cases in recent years in which artists’ freedom of expression has been curbed over concerns that their pieces might offend some viewers,” the Asahi newspaper quoted artistic director Daisuke Tsuda as saying before the festival opened.

In a statement, D aisuke Tsuda explained that:

“The exhibition appeared on July 31st. Every day since, the Triennale's administrative office has received an overwhelming amount of phone calls, many of which were what appeared to be threats of terrorism or verbal attacks on the individual staff members manning the phones. These calls have continued well into the night and have only grown in number. We are considering a further course of action in the event that this situation persists and the safety of visitors and staff continues to be threatened. The need for such a response would, however, demonstrate to our citizens--and to the world--that Japan's current social climate does not allow for discussions about the state of our country, or about the darker aspects of its past . We hope the offending parties will take this into account and consider the gravity of their actions. At this juncture, we are treating the A rtists' Statement delivered by the Triennale's participating artists as an independent action on the part of the signatories, calling for solidarity amongst their fellow artists. The Aichi Triennale Organizing Committee will continue to make our best efforts to ensure a safe environment for our visitors and staff and to remain in communication with the participating artists as we seek a resolution for this situation. We are looking into possibilities for establishing a platform that will allow free and comprehensive discussions with the artists .”

Relations between Japan and South Korea are arguably at the worst in decades as a trade row threatens to affect diplomatic work between the two U.S. security allies.

It was later revealed that a Spanish businessman bought the statue symbolizing women forced to work in Japanese military brothels which was removed from an exhibition in Japan after organizers received threats over the piece.

Businessman Tatxo Benet

said he plans to display the work, which depicts a young woman wearing a traditional Korean dress sitting on one of two wooden chairs, in a “ Freedom Museum ” he plans to open in Barcelona as early as next year.

Benet

said the museum would exhibit around 60 pieces of artwork that have been censored in different parts of the world.

Liberating women through body art

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