To the signatories of the open letter of August 12th

We have read your open letter of August 12th, titled “In Defense of Freedom of Expression”. Firstof all, I would like to apologize once again regarding the strong sense of indignation anddisappointment you feel about the works that are no longer on view, which were created by yourfellow participants in the Triennale. Further, I would like to express my profound sympathy towards
your demonstration of solidarity with these artists, and with your desire to defend freedom ofexpression, which is at the heart of all artistic activity. I also understand that you are dissatisfied
with our response, feeling that it has been too slow.
I would like to state here that, as organizer of an international art festival that sets “contributing tothe global development of culture and art” as part of its mission, I also view freedom of expression,
which forms the very foundation for realizing this mission, to be of the utmost importance. The
conception and realization of the exhibition “After ‘Freedom of Expression?’” as part of Aichi
Triennale 2019 was an extremely challenging endeavor in today’s Japan – a society rife withintolerance towards opinions and attitudes different from one’s own, which has led to widespreadself-regulation. A project of this nature is unprecedented in Japan’s public museums or art
festivals. It is precisely because of the value we set on freedom of expression that we worked so
hard to overcome numerous difficulties and realize this exhibition. But ever since August 1st,
when the exhibition opened, threats beyond our expectations, malicious and abusive phone calls,
and warnings about inhumane acts of terrorism have been unceasingly directed against us. The
closure of the exhibition was a decision to prioritize the lives of visitors and staff who were in aposition of imminent danger. Our greatest respect for freedom of expression, however, hasremained constant throughout.
As mentioned in your letter, there have been several attacks made on our freedom of expression.
We are deeply perturbed by this and intend to face such threats with fortitude.

(1) (2) I stand with you in objecting to the comments made by Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura.
I strongly feel that they are in violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of Japan, which guarantees
freedom of expression. Furthermore, the fact that many public officials have spoken against theexhibition infringes on the freedom of expression and the right to know, and could potentiallyinhibit cultural and artistic activities on a national scale. This cannot be left unchallenged. There
have been many outcries, both from public officials and from members of the public, about using
taxpayer money for an exhibition of this nature. However, the aim of our undertaking, which soughtto honor freedom of expression, was to provide a broad forum for public debate. I believe,therefore, that it was an appropriate use of public funding, aimed as it was at serving the public
good. It goes without saying that these comments have not influenced our decision to close theexhibition in any way.
(3) In terms of the phone calls harassing the staff at our office and at our associates’ offices, wehave so far been unsuccessful in finding legal measures to prevent them. This is one of the mosttroubling concerns right now, and the biggest reason why we have yet been unable to offer you aclear answer as to whether we can resume the exhibition. Some of the callers have madedeplorable threats of a specific nature, warning, for example, that they would track down andcause harm to the families of the staff members answering the phones.
(4) Regarding the FAX message that warned of a potential terrorist attack, we actively cooperated
with the police without giving in, and as a result, the culprit is now under custody. We will continue
to cooperate with the police in their efforts to identify and arrest the other offenders.
As for the reopening of “After ‘Freedom of Expression?’”, the third-party The Future of Aichi
Triennale Review Committee was established on August 16th. It is currently evaluating the wholeprocess that has led to this point – from the exhibition’s preparation and implementation to its
suspension – and discussing what path the Triennale should take from here on. I will refer to thecommittee’s interim report in assessing various possibilities for reopening the exhibition.
Instead of having different entities and individuals express their viewpoints through separate
statements, we are also currently exploring ways to assemble a community of such people withcommon beliefs, and put out a joint declaration on freedom of expression. To that end, I willcontinue to listen to the opinions of artists such as yourselves and of the viewers, and to deliberatewith art experts and associated organizations both in Japan and overseas. And my stance is toclearly denounce the rise of hate and historical revisionism. Freedom of expression matters to us
too.

Aichi Triennale 2019 Artistic Director
Daisuke Tsuda