Comfort Women Project - Asia Trip 2008

61. WAM on War and Peace

Wednesday September 3, 2008

I had a meeting with Mina Watanabe, Secretary General/Curator, and Alison Scott, a Dutch Canadian assistant, at Women's Active Museum(WAM)on War and Peace. We discussed the purpose of my project and the difficulties associated with the "comfort women" issue in Japan.

http://www.wam-peace.org/eng/

On the aims of Women's Active Museum on War and Peace:
"Why don't we found a strategic basis to record and bear in mind the facts of what military forces did against women and how cruelly they were damaged during wartime, and let a peaceful future without violence come true?"

"Wam started with five action targets to bring this dream into reality: Focus on wartime violence, declaring that justice free from any gender bias shall be universally applied; Gather and exhibit data on individual victims, clarifying who is to take responsibility for such victimization; Create an action basis to realize a peaceful and non-violence future; Produce a people's movement without depending on any state power; Take action to enable cross-border solidarity."

Entering WAM

With Mina Watanabe

With Mina Watanabe, Secretary General/Curator, and Alison Scott, a Dutch Canadian assistant

60. ACC in Japan

Monday September 1, 2008

At The Asian Cultural Council(ACC)/Japan-US Arts Program, I met with Georg Kochi, Representative, and Misuzu Yamamoto, Program Associate.

Georg and Misuzu arranged accomodation for me, and suggested museums and galleries in Tokyo. He also offered to try to arrange some meetings with curators during my visit in Japan. Later he contacted me and set up a meeting with Mami Kataoka of the Mori Art Museum.

59. Arriving in Japan

Sunday August 31, 2008

I arrived at Youkobo Art Space in Japan. Youkobo is run by Tatsuhiko Murata and Hiroko Murata. Its Artist-In-Residence Program (AIR), provides a place for both international and Japanese artists. I had a nice Japanese style living space. We also met a number of interesting artists and curators there.

http://www.youkobo.co.jp/

With Tatsuhiko Murata and Hiroko Murata

58. Wednesday Protest

Wednesday August 27, 2008

I went to a Wednesday Protest before my departure to Japan. Many Koreans and Japanese, and Korean "comfort women" *halmunis were protesting in front of the Japanese Embassy. I wished the halmunis good health and long life as I said good-bye to them.

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)

With Soni Kum who works at Nanumeh-Jip(The House of Sharing)

Korean "comfort women" halmunis

With Halmunis

With Young Mee Son who takes care of the halmunis at Shim Toh

57. Min Seok Seo curator

Tuesday August 26, 2008

I had a meeting with Min Seok Seo, a curator at Seoul Arts Center. We talked about my projects and later, he showed me around the arts center.

56. Dawn Korean art center

Monday August 25, 2008

I was invited by Seongmin Ahn, artist, to an informal Korean tea at Dawn Korean art center. Hee Suk Jung is a Korean traditional dress (Hanbok) designer and can also perform the formal Korean Tea Ceremony. She also gives historical walking tours of the local neighborhood. Her studio was filled with Buddhist's chanting music and very peaceful, yet full of energy. I also met Dae Bong Sunim who is a Zen Buddhist Monk at Mu Sang Sa, Gye Ryong Sahn Int'l Zen Center.

Later, Hee Suk took me to some galleries in Seoul including Gana Gallery, Arario Gallery and Hyundai Gallery. She also introduced me to Joon Eui Noh, Director at Total Museum of Contemporary Art.