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Melodrama for Men #2

Performance
performed at Redlight Art, Amsterdam, Sep 9th

2009

The performance was based on a life story of a Dutch woman, Jan Ruff O'Herne, who bravely made a testimony about her tragic past that she was forced to work as a sex slave for Japanese Army in Indonesia during the WWII. When Koizumi was asked to make a site specific performance at the former brothel in Amsterdam, he came across this tragic story that interconnects Japan and Holland, as well as his interests in problems of male sexuality and shameful history of Japan. Borrowing the words from O'Herne's testimony, the artist adapted this tragedy to the format he developed in the Melodrama for Men #1 that elevates the narcissistic aspect of male sexuality. Known as "The Problem of Comfort women", the issue of sex slavery by Japanese Army during the WWII is a forefront of the battle around today's Japanese Nationalism

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