SYSTEM FAILURES
Drawn-out sagas between individuals and those in power illustrated the tortuous paths taken by cultural figures demanding accountability from various organizations.
Perhaps no event was as marred by controversy as . Organizers closed “After ‘Freedom of Expression’?,” a small showcase of previously censored art in Japan, mere days after the festival’s August 1 opening, over threats aimed at Kim Seo-kyung and Kim Eun-sung’s (2011). The sculpture of a comfort woman incensed members of the Japanese public, as well as right-wing politicians including Nagoya mayor Takashi Kawamura. In response, the Gwangju Biennale Foundation, the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art, and 85 of the nearly 100
