Girl Statue for Peace Comfort Women E-Book

Martin Schmidt-Magin

• Herausgeber: BoD - Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: Regardeur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 140

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

For some, it is the 'Statue of Peace,' for others, the 'War Girl.' It is sad to witness how this single artwork can divide people so drastically. And it's not only Japanese citizens who have voiced opposition to the sculpture and its placement. With this account of my journey with the bronze statue, I aim to provide a text that will enable readers and viewers to gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances that led to the creation and the public displays of the statue in South Korea and in the Federal Republic of Germany. The period from 2016 to 2019 spanned only three years during which I had the privilege of accompanying the 'Statue of Peace.' These years, however, were very intense. And although I am no longer involved in the project, one thing I can promise: It will continue! The 'comfort women' will not be forgotten

Leseprobe

My chair

"… my chair is always in its place My chair is the axis of the world, is my eternal rock.

In this world, there are far too many empty things.

Yet my chair,

even when unoccupied,

is not empty."

Kim Chong-mun (1919 - 1981)

Six days after the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and August 9, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced the end of the 'Greater East Asia War' in his address on August 15. This marked the beginning of the end of the suffering endured by hundreds of thousands of young women and girls, who were exploited by the Japanese military as sex slaves, euphemistically referred to as 'comfort women,' during World War II.

On August 14, 1991, Grandmother Kim Kah-soon publicly acknowledged for the first time that she had been a sex slave of the Japanese military; since 2012, August 14 has been recognized as the 'International Memorial Day for Comfort Women.'

To date, over 100 memorials commemorating this crime have been established worldwide. In 2011, the bronze sculpture 'Statue of a Girl for Peace,' created by the artist couple Kim Seo-kyeong and Kim Un-seong, was unveiled in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.

Several reproductions of the 'Statue of a Girl for Peace' stand — tolerated, but not necessarily welcomed —in various places around the world. One of these statues was displayed in August and September 2018 in the foyer of the Dorothee Sölle House in Hamburg-Altona, Germany.

Dr. Martin Schmidt-Magin shares his personal perspective on the 'Statue of a Girl for Peace' in the form of diary-like reflections on his encounters with activists."

To Nuna

"I was a sex slave of Japanese military"

Torn hair symbolizes the girl being snatched from her home by the Imperial Japanese Army. Tight fists represent the girl's firm resolve for a deliverance of justice.Bare and unsettled feet represent having been abandoned by the cold and unsympathetic world.Bird on the girl's shoulder symbolizes a bond between us and the deceased victims.Empty chair symbolizes survivors who are dying of old age Without having yet witnessed justice.Shadow of the girl is that of an old grandma, symbolizing passage of time spent in silence.Butterfly in shadow represents hope that victims may resurrect one day to receive their apology.

Content

1. Foreword

2. Part 1

3. Part 2 Bonn / Germany

4. Hamburg / Germany

5. Korea

6. Review and Outlook

7. Appendix

8. Epilog

9. Images

Top: Example photo of Kintsukuroi Right: 'Statue of a Girl for Peace,' bronze, stone, 2011, in the foyer of the Dorothee Sölle House, 2018

Kintsukuroi is the traditional Japanese method of repairing earthenware, celadon or porcelain. The existing fragments of a vessel or object are glued with lacquer and missing pieces are added. These glued areas are not covered with paint but sprinkled with the finest gold dust. The broken vessel is restored to its original form, the scars are clearly visible, but the dignity of the vessel is preserved through the transformation of the repair.

Foreword

"Mr. Martin! You are the artistic director of this project?" "Yes." "Then I have something to tell you, namely my impressions of this memorial. You see, like you, I am a man. And I have to tell you ... I cannot approach this statue. My own terrible experiences resonate too strongly within me at the sight of this young girl. I was also a victim of assault in my childhood and obviously I still haven't processed and resolved this old issue. My wife drew my attention to today's event and I went along with it, completely naive. And now, look at me. I'm standing here in the foyer of the Dorothee-Sölle-Haus, as far away from the statue as I can get and yet so close that I can just about see it. And inside? I'm shaking inside." "It is remarkable and speaks volumes for you that you are facing up to this experience. Another lady told me roughly the same thing just a few minutes ago. She also had to endure sexual assault in her youth and can look at the sculpture from a distance, but can't really approach it. And yet, she said: on a second visit, when she is alone with the sculpture here in the foyer, she will approach it and will certainly take a seat on the empty chair. Maybe that's an approach for you too."

This short sequence of conversations almost completely outlines the theme of the "Statue of a Girl for Peace": A memorial against sexual assault. A monument for the observance of human rights. A clear statement for "A NO is a NO!" A cry for help from all those girls and young women who were and still are abused, raped and killed in war zones as easy prey for marauding soldiers. She, the statue, "Pyeonghwabi", is a call to all of us: "Finally put an end to sexualized warfare! Finally put an end to violence against women!" Sexual abuse against weaker people has been happening for as long as people can remember. It is finally time for the male part of our society to become aware of its own responsibility and to recognize and internalize that intolerance and humiliation, degradation, violence and torture cannot be a means of dealing with the female sex. The bronze "Girl Statue for Peace" gives us, the viewers, the opportunity to get back in touch with our own inner child, who has been beaten and hurt by father and mother, friends and educators. And by making contact with the inner child, healing can take place for ourselves, through acceptance and forgiveness, as well as for others, because our own healing leads to compassion, respect and understanding.

The "Girl Statue for Peace" was originally created in South Korea, explicitly as a memorial against the sexualized violence perpetrated by the Japanese military against girls and young women in the occupied territories in the Asia-Pacific region during the Second World War. Scientists assume a shockingly high number of victims and put the figure at between 200,000 and 400,000! And of course there are institutes and researchers who doubt these figures. But even if "only" 10,000 victims had suffered sexual violence at the hands of Japanese soldiers, that would be 10,000 victims too many! Every woman, every girl who has to suffer sexual assault is one victim too many! So the statue and its roots are firmly rooted in the conflict between Japan and Korea. However, the fact that we have transported a copy of the statue to Germany and erected it here within the scope of the German constitution gives it a much broader, general meaning. The statue becomes a universally understandable symbol that transcends borders and cultures.

In my personal experience, the individual and personal contact with the "Girl Statue for Peace" takes place in several stages. First, the sculpture is perceived from a distance, in its naturalistic form: a girl in unusual clothing is sitting on a chair, next to it is another chair, but unoccupied. On approaching closer, details of the statue become perceptible: the girl looks strangely impassive, staring ahead of her with empty eyes. Her hair is cut short, chin-length and unkempt, rather disheveled. Her hands are clenched into fists and pressed in front of her lap, her feet are not firmly planted on the ground but hover slightly above it. A small bird sits on her shoulder. Behind the girl on the plinth of the statue, a mosaic formed with black stones creates a shadow, but not of the young girl, but of an old woman, clearly bent forward and sitting with a hair bun on her neck. The shadow is mosaicked with broken black stones; in the center is a stone made of white marble in the shape of a butterfly. The bronze chair to the girl's right is empty. If the statue has already been captured so far, then the plaque attached to the statue can also be read, the text reads:

"This statue of a girl for peace commemorates the suffering of the so-called "comfort women" who were forcibly prostituted by the Japanese military government during the Second World War. Around 200,000 women from the occupied Asian countries were abducted to military brothels and sexually abused. The memorial commemorates the suffering of the victims of this inhumane war crime and makes a contribution to restoring the dignity and rights of the women affected. At the same time, it is an ongoing call for peace and serves as a symbol of remembrance for all people who are still victims of sexual violence around the world today. In solidarity with all people in the world who are committed to peace! August 14, 2018"

And at the latest now that the accompanying text has been read, the "V-effect" sets in, the stylistic device of epic theater initiated by Bert Brecht: the alienation effect. An action is interrupted in such a way that the audience's illusions are destroyed. The illusion that the "statue of a girl for peace" is one beautiful but insignificant sculpture among many is shattered. No, this high-quality statue is by no means trivial; it contains both explosives and healing. Explosive for those who seek violence and confrontation, healing for those who open themselves up to conversation and exchange, who can look at their own wounds and injuries and develop stability in the present and strength for the future by accepting their own roots and origins.

Grandmother Lee Yong-soo made me realize during my visit in November 2019 on the occasion of her 90th birthday in Korea that "Acknowledge - Forgive - Let it blossom!" - is the right formula for dealing with our own history, however terrible or beautiful it may have been. Only by facing up to our past, recognizing it for what it is and acknowledging that it is over, that we can regain strength for our present through forgiveness, that we can reflect on ourselves again and allow new and peaceful things to blossom in the future from these insights, only then can reconciliation happen and a work of art, a painting or a sculpture can also help.

Yes, it is possible and happens again and again that we literally "die" of awe before the concentrated power of a painting by a Leonardo da Vinci, a Rembrandt, a Picasso, a Damian Hirst; yes, that is possible. But: in front of the bronze sculpture "Girl Statue for Peace", we as viewers are reached on a completely different level. It is not the superficial level of veneration, but the level of personal-individual concern. We can recognize ourselves in the sculpture of the bronze girl; we can identify with her, merge with her and from this unity a new perspective can arise that helps us to understand that there need be no rivalry between men and women, that men can understand women and - as in Taoism - only the unity of Yin and Yang (female and male energy) can and will result in a unified strength! The "Girl Statue for Peace" gives courage and strength! In other words: "See it - Say it - Sort it!"

Part I

"I was born in clay from ore by fire... my sisters reside all over the world"

I was designed in the studio of the Korean artist couple Kim Seo-kyung and Kim Un-seong in Seoul, South Korea. My original mold, the model for the marquette, the casting mold, was created in a loving atmosphere based on respect and tolerance. I only too gladly remember the warm and soft hands of Seo-kyung and Un-seong, who initially poured liquid plaster and later warm wax over my inner metal skeleton, applied it and finally - as I said - smoothed it out with their hands. In the top layer of wax, they both modeled - very tenderly - my body, my skin and the clothes I am allowed to wear, the hanbok, the traditional garment of Korean women and the fine fabric shoes. The model for the two, who have no children of their own, was a young girl of around 13 years old from the studio's neighborhood. She is one of the many children who, driven by curiosity, press their noses against the large windows of the studio hall again and again to catch a glimpse of the interior. As Seo-kyung and Un-seong are only too happy to see children playing around them, a small fan base of neighborhood children has formed since the two artists moved in, who drop by the studio almost every day. They occasionally bring fruit or sweets to the artists, sometimes they get up to mischief by pressing the doorbell or knocking on the huge gate and of course running away immediately afterwards; but sometimes they also sit on the old sofa in the studio in complete awe and watch the process of creating drawings and sculptures with their eyes wide open, often also with their mouths wide open.

Seo-kyung and Un-seong liked one of the girls so much that they asked her parents if Sumi, which is her first name, could be the model for the bronze sculpture "Girl Statue for Peace" that was to be created. Her parents were reluctant at first. They run a small grocery store in the nearby shopping center, right by the entrance leading to the bowling alley, where all the family's hands are needed to help, as none of the family of five can do without each other, as everyone is entrusted with a fixed part in the business. However, when Seo-kyung and Un-seong assured them that Sumi would only be a model for a few hours on a few days and that the times could of course be arranged together, the parents agreed. In the meantime, they had also spoken to many of their clients about this "project", as they called it, and learned that it is an honor when an artist asks to model for them.

What made Sumi stand out from all the other children in the "fan community" was her always friendly nature. No one could say that they had ever met Sumi in a bad mood or that she had not responded to a request for help. Sumi was a proverbial ray of sunshine for her family and all those who came into contact with her. During the many hours she spent at her parents' stand in the large hall of the shopping center, she was meticulous in making sure that whenever a person in need of help appeared at the glass door and did not immediately open the heavy doors themselves, she or one of her two brothers would rush to their aid.

Her highest commandment to herself and her siblings was that they should always carry out this small service to others with a smile on their faces.

Sumi was also known as the "Little Sun" by her competitors in the shopping center; everyone, really everyone, appreciated her friendly and pleasantly lively manner, which she sometimes even spiced up with a little joke or a bon mot to amuse the bystanders. Sumi literally brought light into the dreariness of the shopping center.

And yet little Sumi's parents wondered why the artist couple had chosen their child. For Sumi's parents, the little girl was more of a cheeky brat who occasionally took on too much and sometimes lacked the dignified and reserved respect for other people.

In alcohol-fueled conversations, her father was even tempted to describe Sumi to his business partners as a disgrace to the family. However, those who knew Sumi's father knew that he and his daughter were one heart and one soul and that he would never have raised a hand against her, nor would he scold or berate her.

The parents' astonishment only emerged from the moment they learned about the content and theme of the "project". In their imagination, a sad girl, a girl severely scarred by life, perhaps even a disfigured young woman would have to take her place as the model for the "Girl Statue for Peace"; but they gladly complied and promised to support Sumi in her first modeling role.