Judge rules against Nikon in controversial 'comfort women' case
Image © Ahn Sehong.
Nikon has been forced to reopen a controversial exhibition on Korean comfort women in Japan after a judge found in favour of the photographer
Author: Olivier Laurent
27 Jun 2012 Tags: Nikon
Last month, Nikon found itself at the centre of a controversy when it closed down a planned exhibition by photographer Ahn Se-hong. Titled Layer by Layer, the exhibition, held at the company's Shinjuku salon in Japan, portrays Korean 'comfort women' who were forced into prostitution during World War II in Japan.
Following complaints, Nikon took the decision to pull down the exhibition, arguing that Ahn's images were too political.
Now, a Japanese judge has found in favour of the photographer and has forced Nikon to honour its contract and reopen the exhibition. While Nikon can still appeal the court ruling, Ahn has been allowed to show his images.
However, Nikon is being accused of preventing journalists from visiting the exhibition. "At first, Nikon told us it will provide the venue, but won't do anything else to help," says Ahn. "However, Nikon is preventing the foreign press from entering the venue and blocking people from taking personal pictures. Not only that, three lawyers from Nikon are following me around everywhere, trying to eavesdrop and record my every move. I'm enduring this for the sake of the visitors, but this is just like the Japanese occupation period. Nikon is trying to find something to pick at so it can shut down our exhibition."
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, a Nikon spokesman said the company would not "do things that would go against the court decision" but would suspend the exhibit if it received a favourable ruling any time before the show's scheduled end on 09 July.
A petition has been launched to support the photography. For more details, visit the I Am Censored website.
Comments
Nikon are in a hole and should stop digging!
They are creating more publicity for the exhibition by their own actions.
This has gone to far, they should sit a think what would be the consequences of there actions...it is absurd.
You can't have it both ways, if you sign up to art, it ain't always nice. Maybe you would be better just shooting weddings? (apologies to all the very capable wedding photographers out there;)
As a 'westerner' I agree with much of the sentiment posted here. But know this, Japan and, by extension, the Japanese are an extremely proud yet humble people. They are greatly ashamed by the atrocities commited during their war with the Chinese so yes, this exhibition is extremely political. It would be on par with, perhaps an Iraqi national exhibitioning photos of war crime victims in any American gallery - not saying such a thing exists, it's an analogy.
Overall I agree, art is art and it must provoke to inspire, but know the background before you flame Nikon.
That's what photography is about!
Photography is not about selling cameras, it' about pictures.
And it's about important pictures that tell us relevant stories.
Nikons advertising claim "At the heart of the image" is perverted by their actions!
Nikon owners with a conscience, protest this despicable corporate action! Change to another brand!
This is uniquely disappointing ─ a company whose raison d'etre is picture-making trying to censor images?
How could they stoop to this low?
Nikon lost western respect when they discontinued making the Nikon F in 1974. In these terrorist obsessed times we live in, this camera is the only one to have for street photography. Security guard rushes out of a nearby building and tries to grab you camera? Hit him hard in the face with it! Don't waste time arguing your rights or ringing the police or inviting him to ring them or waiting around for them to come. I was attacked and the police did not want to know. Spent four years and ended up with a file 3 inches thick at the end of it. Finally ginned it, lever-arch binder as well. Have learned a salutary lesson here: if I had hit this man in the face with my Nikon F, we would have got to court a damn site quicker and all the apologists and those who tried to justify what was unlawful action on his part, would have had to attend court and explain themselves.
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