After a statue of the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery was removed from one of Japan's largest art festivals,.... other participating artists are also requesting that their work be removed as a way of protesting against censorship.
Lee Min-sun reports.
After one of Japan's largest art festivals removed a statue representing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, known as 'comfort women', a group of artists at the festival demanded for their works to also be removed.
The 'comfort women' statue was on display as part of the "After Freedom of Expression?" section at the Aichi Triennale festival.
11 out of over 90 participating artists have asked for their artwork to be removed as long as the display of the statue is banned "as a public gesture of solidarity with the censored artists."
A group of artists sent an open letter condemning the decision to remove the statue and criticizing festival organizers for surrendering to irrational threats and political demands that violate freedom of expression.
A U.S. nonprofit reporting group also decided to withdraw the display of their animation on August 10th.
The artists withdrawing their work include two Korean artists and 9 artists from Europe and Central and South America. Some of their works were the main pieces that were used on the festival's poster and for the opening ceremony.
Meanwhile, a Spanish art collector has decided to buy the very statue that was censored by the festival. The collector will display the statue along with other art pieces that have been censored or suppressed at an art center he will create next year called 'freedom museum' in Barcelona.
A group of art and cultural figures in Korea including the artist of the statue will hold a discussion on August 22nd in Seoul to take a closer look at the issue from multiple angles.
Lee Min-sun Arirang News.
