“Apologies” by James T. Hong: A Deep Dive into Political Contrition

On December 7, 1970, German chancellor Willy Brandt fell to his knees at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Warsaw, Poland, a gesture of penance for Nazi crimes. This historic moment opens “Apologies,” a three-channel video installation by Taiwanese-American artist James T. Hong, showcasing 161 televised political apologies from around the world.

Displayed at Empty Gallery in Tin Wan, Aberdeen, as part of Hong’s solo exhibition “Apologies and Other Regrets,” this installation first debuted in 2012 and has grown from an hour-long video to a seven-hour and seven-minute compilation. The apologies span from Brandt’s 1970 act to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s 2022 apology for the Netherlands’ role in slavery.

Hong’s inspiration came from conversations with Chinese individuals who claimed Japan never apologized for the second Sino-Japanese war. Initially correcting them, Hong began compiling apologies, expanding beyond Japan to other nations. His work now offers a detailed account of modern history’s atrocities and the often-performative nature of political apologies.

Key clips include U.S. president Ronald Reagan’s 1988 apology to Japanese-Americans interned during World War II, Guatemalan president Alfonso Portillo’s 2001 apology for the Dos Erres massacre, and Pope Francis’ 2014 apology for Catholic Church sexual abuse. Also featured is Japanese minister Fumio Kishida’s 2015 apology for the military’s use of South Korean “comfort women,” and French President Emmanuel Macron’s 2021 apology for the mistreatment of Algerian Harki fighters.

Hong critiques many of these apologies as insincere, seeing them as political tools rather than genuine acts of remorse. He notes that Western and liberal nations tend to apologize more, driven by the need to maintain public support, while some non-democratic countries and former Communist states rarely issue televised apologies.

The evolution of apology topics over time reflects changing societal values. Early apologies like those from Germany for the Holocaust have paved the way for apologies addressing issues related to African-Americans, Native Americans, and the LGBTQIA+ community.

Hong emphasizes that while apologies have increased in frequency, they often fail to bring about meaningful change. “It’s not the apology that’s so important. It’s the accountability and justice that’s more important,” he asserts.

In addition to “Apologies,” the exhibition features “Stabbed in the Back,” a series of four sculptures depicting betrayal. Inspired by the British fable of the Sword in the Stone, these sculptures incorporate real bayonets from the second Sino-Japanese war, symbolizing the betrayal by governments and the universal experience of personal betrayal.

Through these works, Hong invites viewers to reflect on the nature of political apologies and the deeper issues of accountability and justice.

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