ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sanford Biggers - Conceptual artist
Sanford Biggers creates art that upends traditional narratives about topics ranging from hip hop to Buddhism to American history.

Why you should listen

An LA native working in NYC, Sanford Biggers creates artworks that integrate film, video, installation, sculpture, drawing, original music and performance. He intentionally complicates issues such as hip hop, Buddhism, politics, identity and art history in order to offer new perspectives and associations for established symbols. Through a multi-disciplinary formal process and a syncretic creative approach, he makes works that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are conceptual.

The significance of Biggers' work within contemporary society has been celebrated through solo exhibitions both nationally and internationally, most recently at the Brooklyn Museum, Sculpture Center and Mass MoCA. He has participated in prestigious residencies and fellowships including: Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, Germany; Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Poland; Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, California; ARCUS Project Foundation, Ibaraki, Japan; and the Art in General/ Trafo Gallery Eastern European Exchange in Budapest, Hungary. He has been a fellow of the Creative Time Global Residency, the Socrates Sculpture Park Residency, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council World Views AIR Program, the Eyebeam Atelier Teaching Residency, the Studio Museum AIR Program, the P.S. 1 International Studio Program and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture residency.

Biggers' installations, videos and performances have appeared in venues worldwide including Tate Britain and Tate Modern in London, the Whitney Museum and Studio Museum in Harlem, New York and the Yerba Bue a Center for the Arts in San Francisco, as well as institutions in China, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Poland and Russia. The artist's works have been included in notable exhibitions such as: Prospect 1 New Orleans Biennial, Illuminations at the Tate Modern, Performa 07 in NY, the Whitney Biennial and Freestyle at the Studio Museum in Harlem. His works are included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Walker Art Center, Whitney Museum, Brooklyn Museum and Bronx Museum.

Biggers has won awards including: the American Academy in Berlin Prize, Greenfield Prize, New York City Art Teachers Association Artist-of-the-Year, Creative Time Travel Grant, Creative Capital Project Grant, New York Percent for the Arts Commission, Art Matters Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts Award, the Lambent Fellowship in the Arts, the Pennies From Heaven/ New York Community Trust Award, Tanne Foundation Award and Rema Hort Mann Foundation Award Grant.

Biggers is Assistant Professor at Columbia University's Visual Arts program and a board member of Sculpture Center, Soho House and the CUE Foundation. He has also taught at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Sculpture and Expanded Media program and was a visiting scholar at Harvard University's VES Department in 2009.

More profile about the speaker
Sanford Biggers | Speaker | TED.com
TED2016

Sanford Biggers: An artist's unflinching look at racial violence

Sanford Biggers: Uma análise sólida de um artista sobre a violência racial.

Filmed:
1,158,104 views

O artista conceitual e membro TED, Sanford Biggers, utiliza a pintura, a escultura, o vídeo e a representação para desencadear conversas desafiantes sobre a história e o trauma da América negra. Juntem-se a ele, enquanto este pormenoriza duas obras envolventes, e partilha a motivação que está por trás da sua arte. "Apenas através de conversas mais criteriosas sobre a história e as etnias, podemos evoluir enquanto indivíduos e sociedade", diz Biggers.
- Conceptual artist
Sanford Biggers creates art that upends traditional narratives about topics ranging from hip hop to Buddhism to American history. Full bio

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

00:12
As a conceptualconceptual artistartista,
0
976
1394
Como artista conceptual,
00:14
I'm constantlyconstantemente looking for creativecriativo waysmaneiras
to sparkfaísca challengingdesafiador conversationsconversas.
1
2394
4308
estou sempre à procura de formas criativas
de desencadear conversas desafiantes.
00:18
I do this thoughApesar paintingpintura, sculptureescultura,
videovídeo and performancedesempenho.
2
6726
3699
Faço-o através da pintura, da escultura,
do vídeo e da representação.
00:22
But regardlessindependentemente of the formatformato,
3
10449
1439
Mas independentemente do formato,
00:23
two of my favoritefavorito materialsmateriais
are historyhistória and dialoguediálogo.
4
11912
3452
dois dos meus materiais favoritos,
são a história e o diálogo.
00:27
In 2007, I createdcriada "LotusLótus,"
5
15796
2439
Em 2007, criei "Lotus",
00:30
a seven-and-a-half-footsete-e-um-metade-pé diameterdiâmetro,
6
18259
1774
uma representação em vidro,
de 2,30 m de diâmetro e 272 kg,
00:32
600-pound-libra glassvidro depictionrepresentação
of a lotuslótus blossomflor.
7
20057
3555
de uma flor de lótus.
00:35
In BuddhismBudismo, the lotuslótus is a symbolsímbolo
for transcendencetranscendência
8
23937
3469
No Budismo, a flor de lótus,
é um símbolo de transcendência
00:39
and for puritypureza of mindmente and spiritespírito.
9
27430
2428
e de pureza mental e espiritual.
00:41
But a closermais perto look at this lotuslótus
10
29882
2421
Mas um olhar mais próximo
nesta flor de lótus
00:44
revealsrevela eachcada petalpétala
to be the cross-sectionsecção transversal of a slaveescravo shipnavio.
11
32327
3214
revela que cada pétala é um corte
transversal de um navio negreiro.
00:47
This iconicicônico diagramdiagrama was takenocupado
from a BritishBritânico slavingescravizando manualmanual
12
35985
3675
Este famoso diagrama, foi retirado
de um manual britânico sobre escravatura
e mais tarde utilizado por abolicionistas,
para mostrar as atrocidades da escravatura.
00:51
and latermais tarde used by abolitionistsabolicionistas to showexposição
the atrocitiesatrocidades of slaveryescravidão.
13
39684
3833
00:56
In AmericaAmérica, we don't like
to talk about slaveryescravidão,
14
44104
2405
Nos EUA, não gostamos
de falar sobre a escravatura,
00:58
nornem do we look at it as a globalglobal industryindústria.
15
46533
2840
nem olhamos para ela
como uma indústria global.
01:01
But by usingusando this BuddhistBudista symbolsímbolo,
16
49397
1628
Mas com este símbolo budista,
01:03
I hopeesperança to universalizeuniversalizar and transcendtranscender
17
51049
2603
espero universalizar e transcender
a história e o trauma da América negra,
01:05
the historyhistória and traumatrauma of blackPreto AmericaAmérica
18
53676
2389
01:08
and encourageencorajar discussionsdiscussões
about our sharedcompartilhado pastpassado.
19
56089
3364
e encorajar discussões sobre
o nosso passado comum.
01:12
To createcrio "LotusLótus,"
we carvedesculpido over 6,000 figuresfiguras.
20
60033
4095
Para criar "Lotus",
esculpimos mais de 6000 figuras.
Isto levou, mais tarde, a que uma
comissão da cidade de Nova Iorque
01:16
And this latermais tarde led to a commissioncomissão
by the CityCidade of NewNovo YorkYork
21
64469
2723
01:19
to createcrio a 28-foot-pé versionversão in steelaço
22
67216
2254
criasse uma versão de aço, com 8,5 m,
01:21
as a permanentpermanente installationinstalação
at the EagleEagle AcademyAcademia for YoungYoung MenHomens,
23
69494
3442
como instalação permanente
na "Eagle Academy for Young Men",
01:24
a schoolescola for blackPreto and latinolatino studentsalunos,
24
72960
2138
uma escola para estudantes
negros e latinos,
01:27
the two groupsgrupos mosta maioria affectedafetado
by this historyhistória.
25
75122
2673
os dois grupos mais afetados
por esta história.
01:30
The samemesmo two groupsgrupos are very affectedafetado
by a more recentrecente phenomenonfenômeno,
26
78244
3551
Estes mesmos dois grupos, são muito
afetados por um fenómeno mais recente,
01:33
but let me digressdivago.
27
81819
1623
mas deixem-me divagar.
Tenho vindo a colecionar
figuras de madeira africanas,
01:35
I've been collectingcoletando
woodende madeira AfricanAfricano figuresfiguras
28
83840
2167
01:38
from touristturista shopsLojas and fleapulga marketsmercados
around the worldmundo.
29
86031
2484
de lojas de turismo e feiras de rua
por todo o mundo.
01:40
The authenticityautenticidade and originorigem
of them is completelycompletamente debatablediscutível,
30
88539
3082
A autenticidade e a origem
das mesmas é controversa,
01:43
but people believe these
to be imbuedimbuído with powerpoder,
31
91645
2658
mas as pessoas acreditam que elas
contêm poder ou até mesmo magia.
01:46
or even magicMagia.
32
94327
1332
01:47
Only recentlyrecentemente have I figuredfigurado out
how to use this in my ownpróprio work.
33
95683
3126
Só recentemente, descobri como
usar isto no meu próprio trabalho.
01:51
(GunArma shotstiros)
34
99412
6809
(Tiros)
02:05
SinceDesde 2012, the worldmundo has witnessedtestemunhado
the killingsmortes of TrayvonTrayvon MartinMartin,
35
113253
4168
Desde 2012, o mundo testemunhou
os homicídios de Trayvon Martin,
de Michael Brown, de Eric Garner,
de Sandra Bland, de Tamir Rice
02:09
MichaelMichael BrownBrown, EricEric GarnerGarner,
SandraSandra BlandBland, TamirTamir RiceArroz
36
117445
3740
e de inúmeros outros cidadãos negros
desarmados, às mãos da polícia,
02:13
and literallyliteralmente countlessinúmeros other
unarmeddesarmado blackPreto citizenscidadãos
37
121209
2960
02:16
at the handsmãos of the policepolícia,
38
124193
1429
que frequentemente escapa,
sem qualquer tipo de punição.
02:17
who frequentlyfreqüentemente walkandar away
with no punishmentpunição at all.
39
125646
2808
02:20
In considerationconsideração of these victimsvítimas
40
128775
2029
Em consideração por estas vítimas,
02:22
and the severalde várias timesvezes that even I,
41
130828
1810
e pelas inúmeras vezes que até eu,
02:24
a law-abidingcumpridor da lei, IvyIvy LeagueLiga professorprofessor,
42
132662
2473
um cumpridor da lei,
professor da Ivy League,
02:27
have been targetedvisadas and harassedassediado
at gunpointarma by the policepolícia.
43
135159
3464
fui visado e perseguido sob
ameaça de arma pela polícia,
02:30
I createdcriada this bodycorpo of work
simplysimplesmente entitledintitulado "BAMBAM."
44
138647
3654
criei este trabalho simplesmente
intitulado de "BAM".
02:36
It was importantimportante to eraseapagar
the identityidentidade of eachcada of these figuresfiguras,
45
144389
3499
Foi importante apagar a identidade
de cada uma destas figuras,
para fazer com que todas parecessem
iguais e mais fáceis de desprezar.
02:39
to make them all look the samemesmo
and easierMais fácil to disregarddesrespeito.
46
147912
3749
02:43
To do this, I dipmergulho them in a thickGrosso,
brownCastanho waxcera
47
151685
2200
Para fazer isto, mergulhei-as
numa cera castanha e espessa,
02:45
before takinglevando them to a shootingtiroteio rangealcance
48
153909
1963
antes de as levar para o campo de tiro,
onde as voltei a esculpir, usando balas.
02:47
where I re-sculptedRe-esculpidos them usingusando bulletsbalas.
49
155896
2798
02:51
And it was funDiversão,
50
159098
1181
E foi divertido
02:52
playingjogando with biggrande gunsarmas and
high-speedalta velocidade videovídeo camerascâmeras.
51
160303
2837
brincar com armas grandes e
câmaras de vídeo de alta velocidade.
02:55
But my reverencereverência for these figuresfiguras
keptmanteve me from actuallyna realidade pullingpuxar the triggerdesencadear,
52
163164
3657
Mas o meu respeito por estas figuras,
impediu-me de puxar o gatilho.
De certa forma, senti-me como se
estivesse a disparar sobre mim mesmo.
02:58
somehowde alguma forma feelingsentindo-me as if I would
be shootingtiroteio myselfEu mesmo.
53
166845
2658
03:01
FinallyFinalmente, my cameramanoperador de câmara, RaulRaul,
fireddisparamos the shotstiros.
54
169995
3230
Finalmente, Raul, o meu operador
de imagem, disparou os tiros.
Posto isto, peguei nos
pedaços, criei moldes
03:06
I then tooktomou the fragmentsfragmentos of these
55
174503
1869
03:08
and createdcriada moldsmoldes,
and castfundida them first in waxcera,
56
176396
3528
e fundi-os primeiro em cera,
03:12
and finallyfinalmente in bronzebronze
like the imageimagem you see here,
57
180749
3103
e depois em bronze, como
a imagem que estão aqui a ver,
que carrega as marcas
da sua violenta criação,
03:15
whichqual bearsursos the marksmarcas
of its violentviolento creationcriação
58
183876
2104
03:18
like battlebatalha woundsferidas or scarscicatrizes.
59
186004
1808
como cicatrizes ou
ferimentos de guerra.
Quando recentemente mostrei
este trabalho em Miami,
03:20
When I showedmostrou this work recentlyrecentemente in MiamiMiami,
60
188583
2008
03:22
a womanmulher told me she feltsentiu
everycada gunarma de fogo shottiro to her soulalma.
61
190615
2785
uma mulher disse-me que sentiu
cada disparo na sua alma.
Mas ela também sentiu
que estas obras de arte,
03:25
But she alsoAlém disso feltsentiu that these artworksobras de arte
62
193424
2591
imortalizavam as vítimas destes homicídios,
03:28
memorializedimortalizado the victimsvítimas of these killingsmortes
63
196039
2000
bem como outras vítimas
de violência racial,
03:30
as well as other victimsvítimas of
racialracial violenceviolência throughoutao longo US historyhistória.
64
198063
3189
ao longo da história dos EUA.
03:33
But "LotusLótus" and "BAMBAM" are largermaior
than just US historyhistória.
65
201812
3034
Mas "Lotus" e "BAM" são mais do que
apenas história dos EUA.
03:36
While showingmostrando in BerlinBerlim last yearano,
66
204870
1864
Numa exposição em Berlim, no ano passado,
03:38
a philosophyfilosofia studentaluna askedperguntei me
what promptedsolicitado these recentrecente killingsmortes.
67
206758
3561
um estudante de filosofia, perguntou-me
o que originou estas mortes recentes.
03:42
I showedmostrou him a photofoto
of a lynchinglinchamento postcardcartão postal
68
210343
2618
Mostrei-lhe a foto de um postal
de um linchamento no início do século XX,
03:44
from the earlycedo 1900s
69
212985
1365
03:46
and remindedlembrou him that these killingsmortes
have been going on for over 500 yearsanos.
70
214374
5072
e lembrei-lhe que estes assassínios têm
vindo a acontecer há mais de 500 anos.
Mas é apenas através
de perguntas como a dele
03:51
But it's only throughatravés questionsquestões like his
71
219922
1906
e conversas mais criteriosas
sobre a história e a raça,
03:53
and more thoughtfulpensativo dialoguediálogo
about historyhistória and racecorrida
72
221852
2842
03:56
can we evolveevoluir as individualsindivíduos and societysociedade.
73
224718
2578
que podemos evoluir como
indivíduos e como sociedade.
Espero que as minhas obras de arte
criem um espaço seguro
03:59
I hopeesperança my artworkobra de arte createscria a safeseguro spaceespaço
74
227709
2833
para este tipo de intercâmbio honesto,
04:02
for this typetipo of honesthonesto exchangetroca
75
230566
2412
e uma oportunidade para que
as pessoas se envolvam
04:05
and an opportunityoportunidade for people
to engagese empenhar one anotheroutro
76
233002
2739
em diálogos sérios e necessários.
04:07
in realreal and necessarynecessário conversationconversação.
77
235765
2888
04:10
Thank you.
78
238751
1150
Obrigado.
04:11
(ApplauseAplausos)
79
239925
6463
(Aplausos)
Translated by José Marques
Reviewed by Margarida Ferreira

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sanford Biggers - Conceptual artist
Sanford Biggers creates art that upends traditional narratives about topics ranging from hip hop to Buddhism to American history.

Why you should listen

An LA native working in NYC, Sanford Biggers creates artworks that integrate film, video, installation, sculpture, drawing, original music and performance. He intentionally complicates issues such as hip hop, Buddhism, politics, identity and art history in order to offer new perspectives and associations for established symbols. Through a multi-disciplinary formal process and a syncretic creative approach, he makes works that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are conceptual.

The significance of Biggers' work within contemporary society has been celebrated through solo exhibitions both nationally and internationally, most recently at the Brooklyn Museum, Sculpture Center and Mass MoCA. He has participated in prestigious residencies and fellowships including: Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart, Germany; Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Poland; Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, California; ARCUS Project Foundation, Ibaraki, Japan; and the Art in General/ Trafo Gallery Eastern European Exchange in Budapest, Hungary. He has been a fellow of the Creative Time Global Residency, the Socrates Sculpture Park Residency, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council World Views AIR Program, the Eyebeam Atelier Teaching Residency, the Studio Museum AIR Program, the P.S. 1 International Studio Program and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture residency.

Biggers' installations, videos and performances have appeared in venues worldwide including Tate Britain and Tate Modern in London, the Whitney Museum and Studio Museum in Harlem, New York and the Yerba Bue a Center for the Arts in San Francisco, as well as institutions in China, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Poland and Russia. The artist's works have been included in notable exhibitions such as: Prospect 1 New Orleans Biennial, Illuminations at the Tate Modern, Performa 07 in NY, the Whitney Biennial and Freestyle at the Studio Museum in Harlem. His works are included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Walker Art Center, Whitney Museum, Brooklyn Museum and Bronx Museum.

Biggers has won awards including: the American Academy in Berlin Prize, Greenfield Prize, New York City Art Teachers Association Artist-of-the-Year, Creative Time Travel Grant, Creative Capital Project Grant, New York Percent for the Arts Commission, Art Matters Grant, New York Foundation for the Arts Award, the Lambent Fellowship in the Arts, the Pennies From Heaven/ New York Community Trust Award, Tanne Foundation Award and Rema Hort Mann Foundation Award Grant.

Biggers is Assistant Professor at Columbia University's Visual Arts program and a board member of Sculpture Center, Soho House and the CUE Foundation. He has also taught at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Sculpture and Expanded Media program and was a visiting scholar at Harvard University's VES Department in 2009.

More profile about the speaker
Sanford Biggers | Speaker | TED.com

Data provided by TED.

This site was created in May 2015 and the last update was on January 12, 2020. It will no longer be updated.

We are currently creating a new site called "eng.lish.video" and would be grateful if you could access it.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write comments in your language on the contact form.

Privacy Policy

Developer's Blog

Buy Me A Coffee