On June 28, 2025, the Statue of Peace “Đồng Mai” was solemnly unveiled in the courtyard of the Women’s Museum in Bonn, Germany. From now on, it will be a permanent part of the exhibition and serves as a clear statement for a feminist culture of remembrance. At the same time, it stands as a reminder of colonial violence, military exploitation, and the suffering of the so-called “comfort women.”
The Journey of the Statue of Peace “Đồng Mai”
The name Đồng Mai (銅梅) originates from Vietnamese, combining the symbolic power of the resilient plum blossom (Mai) with the permanence of bronze (Đồng). This combination represents the unshakable strength and perseverance of the survivors to whom the Statue of Peace is dedicated.
Previously, “Đồng Mai” was part of the temporary exhibition “Art Against Forgetting” at the NS Documentation Center in Cologne. From March 8 to June 30, 2025, it was displayed in the center’s outdoor area, adding an artistic perspective on colonial and sexualized violence to the traveling exhibition “The Third World in the Second World War.” After the exhibition ended, the statue was brought to Bonn, where it was unveiled in a ceremonial event.
The Ceremonial Unveiling
The unveiling was accompanied by a special performance. Organized by the “Masan, Changwon, and Jinhae Civil Assembly for Japanese Military Sexual Slaves,” the Korean artist group “The Fifth Voice” presented an interdisciplinary performance combining dance and action art. It denounced the injustice of sexualized wartime violence while creating space for collective remembrance, healing, and solidarity. The performance gave the event a profound artistic depth and made it an outstanding cultural and political occasion.
With its installation in the courtyard of the Women’s Museum, “Đồng Mai” becomes part of a place that has been engaged with resistance, justice, and historical reappraisal for decades. Founded in 1981 as the first museum of its kind worldwide, the Bonn Women’s Museum has since made women and their stories visible in art, history, and society. With its focus on feminist perspectives and critical remembrance culture, it provides a particularly fitting setting for the Statue of Peace.