Socially engaged art : If I Were

《如果我是》

Research output: Creative and Literary Works in Non - textual FormRGC 44 - Performance and participation in exhibits

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Detail(s)

Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 10 Dec 2015

Exhibition

TitleIF I WERE: A Memorial Exhibition of “Comfort Women” on the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII
PlaceTaiwan
Period10 - 27 December 2015

Abstract

Rapes in war is one of the major issues of sexual violence. Sexual atrocities were repeatedly committed during the recent civil wars in Libya and Congo. Raping women is even treated as a weapon to attack the morale of the enemy. Another typical case has to do with Japan. The Japanese government still denies having committed the crime of forcing women to be comfort women during the Second World War. There is a government official defended the crimes, arguing that such a sexual exploitation system was necessary at that time and women had volunteered themselves to be comfort women. “Comfort women” are even used as mocking words. Comments that rationalize atrocities committed and show no respect to victims are still found. Phoebe Man believes education and knowledge can change people’s way of thinking. Through conducting workshops with Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation, she introduced and discussed the issue, released and refreshed young minds on the issue of comfort women by means of creative activities and to trigger a rethink on the current situation in the society. In the workshop, participant were asked if s/he were a Japanese soldier who is in power on another women, a comfort women who wants to express her views on misconception and a spectator who witnesses a comfort women is excluded from her family, what will s/he do? The workshops were held in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The art works of the participants were shown in the exhibition “Art as Social Interaction -- Hong Kong/Taiwan Exchange”. The exhibition invited audience to participate in the exhibition by making art works or giving feedback on the exhibited works, to reaffirm our commitment to protect human rights of women and clarifying our opposition to sexual violence. To strengthen the sense of empathy, the Taipei exhibition added installation of comics background and masks. Full time docents were arranged to introduce and discuss the issue with the audience. Wish there are more in-depth discussion on the issue.

Bibliographic Note

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Citation Format(s)

Socially engaged art: If I Were. MAN, Phoebe C Y (Artist). 2015. Event details: IF I WERE: A Memorial Exhibition of “Comfort Women” on the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, Taiwan.

Research output: Creative and Literary Works in Non - textual FormRGC 44 - Performance and participation in exhibits