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Artists explore sexual abuse during conflict
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THE multimedia exhibition “Intimate Transgressions” has gathered works from more than 40 artists from around the world to look at sex slaves during World War II and will open tomorrow at Hangzhou Library.
The artworks on display react to the transnational issue of violence against women during times of conflict from both a historical and contemporary perspective.
“Locks” made of white hair, bleeding navel cords, and entrapped girls in shackles are some of the images shown.
“It is not only about sexual abuse, it is about destruction,” said Fion Gunn, an Irish artist and a curator for the exhibition. “It is a universal issue and we want people to confront it so that we can prevent it from happening again.”
Intimate Transgressions is supported by CAPA (Center for Asia Pacific Affairs) and will tour 15 cities across the world. Following New York and Beijing, Hangzhou is the third stop.
During World War II, the Japanese army abducted hundreds of thousands of so-called comfort women, principally from the Korean peninsula, China, the Philippines, forced them into sexual slavery and often treated with such extreme brutality.
Less than 20 victims from China are still alive.
“If I don’t make something now, I am not going to see them ever,” said artist Gao Yuan from Taiwan. She stayed in Shanxi Province for five days to talk with survivors, filmed them and added the moaning of animals to the video.
After the war, the victims’ plight was side-lined. Recently, Japan’s prime minister issued a verbal apology to victims in South Korea, and agreed to financially contribute to a fund that helps the elderly victims.
But Gunn said that wasn’t enough. “It is something that has to be accepted at a governmental level, and put into history books,” she said. “If you do not know your history, you will never learn from it.”
While the exhibition investigates individual and collective accountability, it is not intended as a documentary of horrors. “Rather, it will speak of loss and resilience, of sorrow and our shared humanity,” Sam Chen, president of CAPA wrote in a foreword.
The exhibition not only explores this one aspect, but a series of universal issues touching on gender identity, violence and dignity, society and fairness, morality and psychology. This open-ended investigation includes performance art, installations, and a series of concurrent talks and workshops.
The artists come from China, Japan, Israel, Italy, Australia, Germany, Japan, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The work is diverse and covers a range of media and styles from drawing and print to installation and video.
Gunn curated the exhibit in association with two Chinese artists, Hu Yuanbo and Jiao Jian.
“Researching this historic period made me realize that sexual violence against women during periods of war continues to this day and that it is an outrage which is not being eradicated,” said Gunn. “With Intimate Transgressions, the issue has been raised and dialogue initiated as part of a movement to protect women from such crimes.”
Date: April 3-16, 9am-5:30pm; the opening ceremony is at 4pm, tomorrow
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