Christine Sun Kim: The enchanting music of sign language
کریستین سون کیم: موزیکە دڵفڕێنەکەی زمانی ئاماژە
Through visual art, composition and performance, Christine Sun Kim explores ways of transmuting sound and silence. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
is my favorite musical symbol.
خۆشەویستترین پیتی موزیکە لام
and you notice a "p" in the score,
"پ" ت بینی لەسەر هێلەکە
upon thousands of p's there may be,
of American Sign Language, ASL,
to America during the early 1800s,
لە سەرەتاکانی ١٨٠٠ەکان
mixed with local signs,
we know today as ASL.
بە ئەی ئێس ئێڵ دەناسرێت.
that sound wasn't a part of my life.
بەشێک نییە لە ژیانی من.
that that wasn't the case at all.
in a world of sound,
in a foreign country,
customs, behaviors and norms
behave and respond to sound.
هەیە بۆ دەنگ.
and amplify sound.
دەنگم بۆ بەرزدەکەنەوە.
I've learned that I create sound,
you're eating from the potato-chip bag!"
your utensils on the plate."
I term "sound etiquette."
in eager nervous anticipation
already contain sound
movement is equivalent to sound.
نیشانەیەک بۆ نۆتە هەیە.
with my thumb sticking up like that
I stick to four lines on paper.
هێلم لەسەر پەڕەکە داناوە.
to travel to Berlin, Germany,
I had been working as a painter.
different museums and gallery spaces,
and this struck me ...
distance me from art?
have to be the case at all.
just experienced through the ears.
taught regarding sound,
to the art community,
of support and attention I received.
پاڵپشتی و گوێپێدانەی وەرم گرت.
that sound was your thing,
disempower me and my artwork,
around spoken language.
my literal voice to communicate,
دەنگی راستیم بەکارناهێنم بۆ پەیوەندی.
it's as if I don't have a voice at all.
who can support me as an equal
کە وەک تاكێکی یەکسان تەماشام دەکەن
relevancy in society today.
من پەیوەستم بە کۆمەڵگەی ئەمڕۆوە.
different ASL interpreters.
زمانی جەستە کارمکردووە.
my voice and identity.
a temporary form of currency,
with a very high interest rate.
وەربگریت بە سوویەکی زۆرەوە.
fade off into oblivion
any form of social currency.
هونەرێکی لێک تێگەیشتن بۆ من.
the similarities between music and ASL.
بینی لە نێوان موزیک و زمانی جەستەدا.
and expressed on paper.
for a concept in ASL.
بۆ بیرۆکەی زمانی جەستە.
and highly inflected --
a piano metaphor,
understanding of how ASL works.
زمانی جەستە کاردەکات.
many different grammatical parameters.
بەشێکی ڕێزمانی جیاوازەوە.
to each finger as you play the piano --
بۆدابنێیت وەک چۆن پیانۆ دەژەنی--
بە یەک دوگمەدا دەنرێت.
to come down simultaneously
دەربڕیت بە زمانی جەستە.
were to change the chord,
different meaning.
in regards to pitch, tone and volume.
بەرزی و تۆن و قەبارە.
different grammatical parameters,
دەوری ئەم بەشە ڕێزمانییانە
through a musical lens?"
زمانی ئاماژە بکەم؟
and repeat it over and over,
دروست بکەم و دووبارەی بکەمەوە.
like a piece of visual music.
for "all night."
represented in this drawing.
about three different kinds of nights:
وشەی شەو بکەمەوە:
a lot more musicality than the other two.
لەوانی دیکە زیاتر موزیکی تێدایە.
is expressed in ASL
باسی کات دەکرێت
can express the changes in time.
کاتدا دەردەخات.
دوو کاتژمێر دوو دەست،
and in front of the body,
ڕوودەدات و لەبەردەم جەستەدا دەبێت،
and the past is to your back.
ڕابردووش لەپشتتەوە.
is "a long time ago."
and dramatic notion to it,
of four beats per measure.
is "at the same time."
ئێڵ ئێچ: دەستی چەپ.
across the head and the chest.
سەر و سنگدا.
a hand shape called the "flash claw."
دەستە چییە کە پێی دەوترێت "چنگێکی خێرا."
in both the head and the chest,
or at the same time.
in International [Sign].
بۆ پەیوەندی کردن
around the world.
لە سەرانسەری جیهاندا.
to demonstrate is this --
نیشانی ئێوەی بەم ئەمەیە --
بە زمانی جەستەی ئەمریکی.
بە زمانی جەستە.
هەرسێکیان بکەینەوە.
are very similar,
چۆن زۆر لەیەک ئەچن،
how ASL is alive and thriving,
زمانی جەستە زیندووە و لە گەشەکردندایە.
کە گرنگ بە دەنگ ئەیات.
هیچ دەنگێکی نییە،
هیچ بەهایەکی کۆمەڵایەتی نامێنێت.
about what defines social currency
دەربارەی ئەوەی دراوی کۆمەڵایەتی چییە و
its own form of currency --
دراوی خۆی ئەیات --
to lead to a more inclusive society.
بمانگەیەنێتە کۆمەڵگایەکی گشتگیرتر. و
to be deaf to learn ASL,
بۆ ئەوەی فێری زمانی جەستە ببیت،
to learn music.
بۆ ئەوەی فێری موزیک ببیت.
to have the same experience.
ئەزموونتان هەبێت لەگەڵی. و
to open your ears,
بۆ ئەوەی گوێچکەتان بکەنەوە،
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Christine Sun Kim - Sound artist, composerThrough visual art, composition and performance, Christine Sun Kim explores ways of transmuting sound and silence.
Why you should listen
Christine Sun Kim uses the medium of sound through technology and conceptualism in art, as it enables her to have the most direct connection to society at large.
She rationalizes and reframes her relationship with sound and spoken languages by using audience’s voice as her own, conducting a group of people to sing with facial movements (rather than sound), composing visual scores with sign language and musical symbols. These attempts are made to raise questions on ownership of sound, explore oral languages as social currency, deconstruct preconceived ideas about silence, and above all, unlearn sound etiquette.
As part of her practice, Kim borrows other people’s voices in order to have one and she does it by collaborating with artists such as Devonté Hynes, Thomas Benno Mader, Wolfgang Müller and Alison O’Daniel. Selected exhibitions and performances include: Sound Live Tokyo, Tokyo; White Space, Beijing; LEAP, Berlin; Carroll / Fletcher, London; nyMusikk, Oslo; Andquestionmark, Stockholm; Southern Exposure, San Francisco; Recess Activities, New York; Calder Foundation, New York; and the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Additionally, she was a recipient of Artist Residency at Whitney Museum, Haverford College, Southern Exposure, Arnolfini, University of Texas’ Visual Arts Center and Fellowship at TED and MIT Media Lab.
Christine Sun Kim | Speaker | TED.com