Water’s powerful ability to soothe both body and mind, thanks to its mineral properties, has made Beppu’s hot springs, especially those in the Kannawa District, a favourite healing place for the Japanese. After the Second World War, the city opened treatment centres to deal with the effects of the atomic bomb, taking full advantage of the region’s exceptional location on top of a geothermal hot spot. In this video, this humble communal outdoor bath is an inviting, relaxing environment where people can take a moment for themselves as well as socialize. Men and women occupy separate bathing periods, however the artist, a Korean woman, bathes with Japanese men. This innocuous gesture is one of monumental significance considering the sexual exploitation of Korean women—the history of comfort women —for example. The quiet coexistence of bodies in this context suggests a different path towards healing and reconciliation.

- Anne-Marie St Jean-Aubere