ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sue Austin - Performance artist
In repurposing her wheelchair to create fantastical art, Sue Austin reshapes how we think about disability.

Why you should listen

Multimedia, performance and installation artist Sue Austin keeps a fascinating mission at the center her work: to challenge the idea of disabled as “other” and represent her experience as a wheelchair user in a brighter light. She does this by creating quirky, unexpected juxtapositions -- bringing a sense of whimsy and empowerment to the discussion of disability.

Austin is the founder and artistic director of Freewheeling, an initiative aiming to further the genre of Disability Arts. In 2012, she was asked to be a part of the Cultural Olympiad in Britain, a celebration of the arts leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The work she created for the event, called “Creating the Spectacle!,” is a groundbreaking series of live art and video works of an underwater wheelchair.

More profile about the speaker
Sue Austin | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxWomen 2012

Sue Austin: Deep sea diving ... in a wheelchair

Sue Austin: 轮椅上的深海潜水

Filmed:
2,295,460 views

当Sue Austin 16年前坐上电动轮椅的时候,她感受到了一种极大的自由--与此同时其他人认为她是缺失的。在她的艺术中,她旨在传达坐在轮子上穿越世界带来的奇妙感受。包括用水下轮椅完成的刺激漫步,在鱼群中漫游,360度全方位的自由漂浮。
- Performance artist
In repurposing her wheelchair to create fantastical art, Sue Austin reshapes how we think about disability. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:16
It's wonderful精彩 to be here
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非常高兴能在这里
00:18
to talk about my journey旅程,
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谈谈我的人生旅程
00:20
to talk about the wheelchair轮椅
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谈谈轮椅
00:22
and the freedom自由 it has bought me.
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以及它给与我的自由
00:25
I started开始 using运用 a wheelchair轮椅 16 years年份 ago
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我是从16年前开始坐上轮椅的
00:27
when an extended扩展 illness疾病
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那时一场长期的慢性病
00:29
changed the way I could access访问 the world世界.
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改变了我接触这个世界的方式
00:33
When I started开始 using运用 the wheelchair轮椅,
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当我开始使用轮椅
00:35
it was a tremendous巨大 new freedom自由.
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我立即感受到一种全新的绝妙的自由
00:38
I'd seen看到 my life slip away and become成为 restricted限制.
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因为生活曾经一度离我而去,人生受到限制
00:41
It was like having an enormous巨大 new toy玩具.
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那时好像拥有了一个崭新的玩具
00:44
I could whiz呼啸 around and feel the wind in my face面对 again.
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我可以嗖嗖地快速来往,重新体验风拂在脸上的感觉
00:48
Just being存在 out on the street was exhilarating令人振奋.
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就连出门都变得如此令人高兴
00:51
But even though虽然 I had this newfound新发现 joy喜悦 and freedom自由,
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但即使我重获快乐与自由
00:56
people's人们 reaction反应 completely全然 changed towards me.
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人们对我的反应还是彻彻底底的改变了
00:59
It was as if they couldn't不能 see me anymore,
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他们好像看不见我了
01:02
as if an invisibility隐形 cloak披风 had descended下降.
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就好像我穿上了隐身衣似的
01:06
They seemed似乎 to see me in terms条款 of their assumptions假设
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他们似乎是通过自己的逻辑来推测我的想法,
01:09
of what it must必须 be like to be in a wheelchair轮椅.
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来断言坐在轮椅中的感觉如何的。
01:13
When I asked people their associations协会 with the wheelchair轮椅,
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当被问起关于“轮椅"会有怎样的联想时
01:18
they used words like "limitation局限性," "fear恐惧,"
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人们会用到诸如”限制“,”害怕“
01:22
"pity可怜" and "restriction限制."
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”遗憾“和”约束“等词语
01:25
I realized实现 I'd internalized内在 these responses回复
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我意思到在潜意识里我会把他们的回答内化
01:29
and it had changed who I was on a core核心 level水平.
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因此就从根本上改变了我
01:33
A part部分 of me had become成为 alienated疏远 from myself.
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我内心的一部分渐渐疏远了自己
01:37
I was seeing眼看 myself not from my perspective透视,
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我对自己的看法并不是来自自身所持观点
01:41
but vividly生动地 and continuously一直 from the perspective透视
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而是不断地、强烈地受到
01:45
of other people's人们 responses回复 to me.
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他人给与的回应的影响
01:48
As a result结果, I knew知道 I needed需要 to make my own拥有 stories故事
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正因此,我明白自己需要就这段经历
01:53
about this experience经验,
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创造属于我自己的故事
01:55
new narratives叙事 to reclaim回收 my identity身分.
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一个全新的,可以改造自我意识的故事
01:58
["Finding查找 Freedom自由: 'By'通过 creating创建 our own拥有 stories故事 we learn学习 to take the texts文本 of our lives生活 as seriously认真地 as we do 'official''官方' narratives叙事.' — Davis戴维斯 2009, TEDx的TEDx Women妇女"]
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["寻找自由:‘通过创造属于自己的故事,我们学会认真审视自己的生命,正如我们编写官方材料一样。‘——Davis2009.TEDx women']
02:01
I started开始 making制造 work
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于是我开始着手创造
02:03
that aimed针对 to communicate通信 something
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其目的在于传递
02:06
of the joy喜悦 and freedom自由 I felt when using运用 a wheelchair轮椅 --
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轮椅带给我的快乐和自由
02:11
a power功率 chair椅子 -- to negotiate谈判 the world世界.
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有魔力的椅子--她助我玩转世界
02:16
I was working加工 to transform转变 these internalized内在 responses回复,
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我致力于改变那些“内化了的回应”
02:22
to transform转变 the preconceptions先入为主 that had so shaped成形
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去改变那些当我开始使用轮椅时
02:26
my identity身分 when I started开始 using运用 a wheelchair轮椅,
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曾一度塑造了我的自我意识的先入为主的观点
02:29
by creating创建 unexpected意外 images图片.
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通过创造出人意料的画面
02:33
The wheelchair轮椅 became成为 an object目的 to paint涂料 and play with.
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这轮椅成了我绘画和娱乐的用具
02:39
When I literally按照字面 started开始 leaving离开
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当我真的开始留下
02:41
traces痕迹 of my joy喜悦 and freedom自由,
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我快乐和自由的痕迹的时候
02:45
it was exciting扣人心弦 to see
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人们表现出的
02:47
the interested有兴趣 and surprised诧异 responses回复 from people.
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兴趣和惊讶非常令我激动
02:51
It seemed似乎 to open打开 up new perspectives观点,
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这似乎成了新观念的开端
02:54
and therein在其中 lay铺设 the paradigm范例 shift转移.
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这其中蕴含了思维模式的转换
02:57
It showed显示 that an arts艺术 practice实践
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我们可以看到艺术性尝试
02:59
can remake翻拍 one's那些 identity身分
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能够重塑一个人的自我意识
03:01
and transform转变 preconceptions先入为主 by revisioningrevisioning the familiar.
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通过修订熟识之事来改变先入之见
03:06
So when I began开始 to dive潜水, in 2005,
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于是,在2005年,我开始潜水
03:10
I realized实现 scuba水肺 gear齿轮 extends扩展 your range范围 of activity活动
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我意识到水肺同轮椅一样
03:14
in just the same相同 way as a wheelchair轮椅 does,
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能扩展使用者的活动自由
03:16
but the associations协会 attached to scuba水肺 gear齿轮
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但不同的是,水肺带来的
03:19
are ones那些 of excitement激动 and adventure冒险,
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是令人兴奋和冒险的联想
03:21
completely全然 different不同 to people's人们 responses回复 to the wheelchair轮椅.
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和人们对于轮椅的联想截然相反
03:25
So I thought, "I wonder奇迹 what'll什么会 happen发生
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于是我就想,“如果把它们俩
03:28
if I put the two together一起?" (Laughter笑声) (Applause掌声)
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放在一起会如何?”(笑)(掌声)
03:33
And the underwater水下 wheelchair轮椅 that has resulted导致
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然后,水下轮椅就诞生了
03:37
has taken采取 me on the most amazing惊人 journey旅程
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在过去的这7年里
03:40
over the last seven years年份.
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它带给我最最惊奇的水下之旅
03:42
So to give you an idea理念 of what that's like,
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为了让你们体会这是怎样的一种感受
03:45
I'd like to share分享 with you one of the outcomes结果
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我将在这里和你们分享
03:48
from creating创建 this spectacle场面,
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其中一次这种奇景带来的成果
03:50
and show显示 you what an amazing惊人 journey旅程 it's taken采取 me on.
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并向你们展示它带给我的是一种怎样的奇妙旅程
03:54
(Music音乐)
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(音乐)
07:24
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
07:31
It is the most amazing惊人 experience经验,
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这是我最最叹服的经历
07:34
beyond most other things I've experienced有经验的 in life.
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超过我所经历过的任何事情
07:37
I literally按照字面 have the freedom自由 to move移动
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我竟能真的如此自由自在地
07:40
in 360 degrees of space空间
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360度地在空间中移动
07:43
and an ecstatic欣喜若狂 experience经验 of joy喜悦 and freedom自由.
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同时享受着愉悦和自由带来的狂喜之情
07:47
And the incredibly令人难以置信 unexpected意外 thing
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最难以置信的事情是
07:49
is that other people seem似乎 to see and feel that too.
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其他人似乎也有身临其境之感
07:54
Their eyes眼睛 literally按照字面 light up,
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他们眼中闪着光芒
07:56
and they say things like, "I want one of those,"
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并说,“我也想试试!”
07:59
or, "If you can do that, I can do anything."
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”既然你可以做到,我也能做任何事情!”
08:03
And I'm thinking思维, it's because in that moment时刻
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然后我在想,这是因为在那时
08:06
of them seeing眼看 an object目的
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他们目睹了一件
08:09
they have no frame of reference参考 for,
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他们从来没有见过的事
08:11
or so transcends超越 the frames of reference参考
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或者说,这件事超越了人们心中
08:14
they have with the wheelchair轮椅,
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关于轮椅的固有的观念
08:16
they have to think in a completely全然 new way.
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使得他们不得不采用一种崭新的思维方式
08:19
And I think that moment时刻 of completely全然 new thought
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我觉得在这全新观念诞生的时刻
08:23
perhaps也许 creates创建 a freedom自由
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也许也带来了一种新的自由
08:25
that spreads利差 to the rest休息 of other people's人们 lives生活.
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这自由也在其他人的生命之中穿梭
08:29
For me, this means手段 that they're seeing眼看
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对我而言,这意味着他们目睹了
08:33
the value of difference区别,
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与众不同的价值
08:35
the joy喜悦 it brings带来
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以及它带来的快乐
08:37
when instead代替 of focusing调焦 on loss失利 or limitation局限性,
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当我们不在计较失去和限制时
08:41
we see and discover发现 the power功率 and joy喜悦
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我们就能发现这令人兴奋的新观念
08:45
of seeing眼看 the world世界 from exciting扣人心弦 new perspectives观点.
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拥有的力量和愉悦
08:49
For me, the wheelchair轮椅 becomes
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对我来说,轮椅
08:51
a vehicle车辆 for transformation转型.
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成为了一种转化工具
08:54
In fact事实, I now call the underwater水下 wheelchair轮椅 "Portal门户,"
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实际上我现在把水下轮椅叫做 “穿越之门”
08:57
because it's literally按照字面 pushed me through通过
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因为它的确
09:00
into a new way of being存在,
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把我推入了一种崭新的生活
09:01
into new dimensions尺寸 and into a new level水平 of consciousness意识.
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进入了一个新的维度和一个思想意识的新高度
09:05
And the other thing is,
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除此之外
09:07
that because nobody's没有人是 seen看到 or heard听说
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水下轮椅对其他人而言
09:09
of an underwater水下 wheelchair轮椅 before,
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闻所未闻见所未见
09:12
and creating创建 this spectacle场面 is about creating创建
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因此创造这奇物就是在创造
09:14
new ways方法 of seeing眼看, being存在 and knowing会心,
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新的看法,存在 和认知感
09:17
now you have this concept概念 in your mind心神.
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现在这一概念已经存在于你的脑海之中
09:20
You're all part部分 of the artwork艺术品 too.
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你们也就都成了这艺术作品的一部分。
09:24
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Xueling Sun
Reviewed by Rongyang Sun

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sue Austin - Performance artist
In repurposing her wheelchair to create fantastical art, Sue Austin reshapes how we think about disability.

Why you should listen

Multimedia, performance and installation artist Sue Austin keeps a fascinating mission at the center her work: to challenge the idea of disabled as “other” and represent her experience as a wheelchair user in a brighter light. She does this by creating quirky, unexpected juxtapositions -- bringing a sense of whimsy and empowerment to the discussion of disability.

Austin is the founder and artistic director of Freewheeling, an initiative aiming to further the genre of Disability Arts. In 2012, she was asked to be a part of the Cultural Olympiad in Britain, a celebration of the arts leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The work she created for the event, called “Creating the Spectacle!,” is a groundbreaking series of live art and video works of an underwater wheelchair.

More profile about the speaker
Sue Austin | Speaker | TED.com