To whom it may concern:
The Education for Social Justice Foundation (ESJF) founded in San Francisco in the United States urges the Aichi Prefectural Triennale Promotion Office reopen the exhibit, “After ‘Lack of Freedom of Expression?’ 「表現の不自由展・その後」,” to the public until October 14 as originally planned. ESJF denounces the August 3 decision to shut down the exhibit.
On August 3, the third day of the exhibit, when visitors who lined up in 95 degrees in Fahrenheit heat in Nagoya, capital of Aichi Prefecture, heard the shutdown announcement, what they witnessed was a lack of freedom of expression in Japan.
Shutting down an exhibit, especially without consulting the artists, is a grave suppression of freedom of expression and political violence. One of the pieces on the display was done by Yun-Soo Jo, a minor, back in December 2016.
In April 2017, 11th grader Yon-Su Jo experienced injustice when the city funding to the Chiba Korean Elementary and Middle School was cut because she and her friend presented art pieces advocating justice for Japanese military sex slaves, which the Chiba mayor found problematic. As a result, he cut funding to the school as an unfair punitive measure. At the 2019 Aichi Triennale, she is experiencing yet another injustice associated with freedom of expression, which is the essence of democracy.
In addition to protecting the freedom of expression of the people, it is the humble duty of democratic society to provide a just and safe environment for the young generation, but the organizers of the Aichi Triennale 2019 have done completely the opposite. Shutting down freedom of expression is wrong. Shutting down freedom of minors’ expression is even more wrong and shameful.
Yours sincerely,
Sung Sohn
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Education for Social Justice Foundation
[email protected]
The Education for Social Justice Foundation (ESJF) founded in San Francisco in the United States urges the Aichi Prefectural Triennale Promotion Office reopen the exhibit, “After ‘Lack of Freedom of Expression?’ 「表現の不自由展・その後」,” to the public until October 14 as originally planned. ESJF denounces the August 3 decision to shut down the exhibit.
On August 3, the third day of the exhibit, when visitors who lined up in 95 degrees in Fahrenheit heat in Nagoya, capital of Aichi Prefecture, heard the shutdown announcement, what they witnessed was a lack of freedom of expression in Japan.
Shutting down an exhibit, especially without consulting the artists, is a grave suppression of freedom of expression and political violence. One of the pieces on the display was done by Yun-Soo Jo, a minor, back in December 2016.
In April 2017, 11th grader Yon-Su Jo experienced injustice when the city funding to the Chiba Korean Elementary and Middle School was cut because she and her friend presented art pieces advocating justice for Japanese military sex slaves, which the Chiba mayor found problematic. As a result, he cut funding to the school as an unfair punitive measure. At the 2019 Aichi Triennale, she is experiencing yet another injustice associated with freedom of expression, which is the essence of democracy.
In addition to protecting the freedom of expression of the people, it is the humble duty of democratic society to provide a just and safe environment for the young generation, but the organizers of the Aichi Triennale 2019 have done completely the opposite. Shutting down freedom of expression is wrong. Shutting down freedom of minors’ expression is even more wrong and shameful.
Yours sincerely,
Sung Sohn
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Education for Social Justice Foundation
[email protected]