Mouths: On Water and Whisky by Miji Ih

Born in South Korea and based in Berlin, the visual artist Miji Ih interrogates the mechanics of collective memory, directing our gaze toward the quiet, everyday moments of women’s lives at the intersections of migration, gendered labor, and patriarchal violence. About In 2020, the Ari Statue of Peace was installed in Berlin’s Moabit neighborhood. It was intended to commemorate the so-called “comfort women” across the Asia-Pacific region, who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II. The statue also honored the courage of survivors who broke decades of silence about their experiences. Its installation prompted protests from the Japanese government and sparked a broad public debate about how the “comfort women” are remembered. For Miji Ih, the Statue of Peace became the starting point for her engagement with the so-called “comfort women,” culminating in Mouths: On Water and Whisky, which connects their history with the lived realities of women around U.S. military bases in Japan, South Korea, and Germany. Read more Toggle Multi-disciplinary Mixed media Film / Video Audio / Sound Photography