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

蘇 ‧ 柯士甸 (Sue Austin): 坐輪椅潛行深海

Filmed:
2,295,460 views

16年前蘇 ‧ 柯士甸 (Sue Austin) 得到一部「能量椅」,並覺得重獲自由 ── 但外人卻認為她所失甚多。透過藝術作品,她希望與外界分享,坐輪椅漫遊世間嘅心路歷程,其中包括一段她用潛水輪椅潛行海床、穿梭魚群之間、360 度浮游的水底片段。(攝於TEDxWomen)
- 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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很榮幸能在這裡
00:18
to talk about my journey旅程,
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說說我的心路歷程
00:20
to talk about the wheelchair輪椅
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說說輪椅
00:22
and the freedom自由 it has bought me.
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還有它帶給我的自由
00:25
I started開始 using運用 a wheelchair輪椅 16 years年份 ago
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16年前我開始使用輪椅
00:27
when an extended擴展 illness疾病
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一場大病
00:29
changed the way I could access訪問 the world世界.
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令我不得不改變接觸世界的方法
00:33
When I started開始 using運用 the wheelchair輪椅,
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當我坐上輪椅
00:35
it was a tremendous巨大 new freedom自由.
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它帶給我嶄新的自由
00:38
I'd seen看到 my life slip away and become成為 restricted限制.
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我的人生曾經離我而去 被禁錮起來
00:41
It was like having an enormous巨大 new toy玩具.
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所以,當我坐上輪椅,簡直是一件新奇的玩具
00:44
I could whiz呼嘯 around and feel the wind in my face面對 again.
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我可以再以迎風呼嘯,感受世界的美好
00:48
Just being存在 out on the street was exhilarating令人振奮.
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可以再次上街實在令人振奮
00:51
But even though雖然 I had this newfound新發現 joy喜悅 and freedom自由,
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雖說我自此獲得新生的快樂和自由
00:56
people's人們 reaction反應 completely全然 changed towards me.
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外人對我的反應卻截然不同
00:59
It was as if they couldn't不能 see me anymore,
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他們彷彿視我如無物
01:02
as if an invisibility隱形 cloak披風 had descended下降.
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就像我身上披著隱形斗篷
01:06
They seemed似乎 to see me in terms條款 of their assumptions假設
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以乎在他們的成見中
01:09
of what it must必須 be like to be in a wheelchair輪椅.
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我坐在輪椅上定必會如何如何
01:13
When I asked people their associations協會 with the wheelchair輪椅,
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當我問人們「提起輪椅,你們聯想到甚麼?」
01:18
they used words like "limitation局限性," "fear恐懼,"
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他們會說「局限」、「恐懼」
01:22
"pity可憐" and "restriction限制."
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「可憐」、「拘束」
01:25
I realized實現 I'd internalized內在 these responses回复
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我想我曾經深受這些成見的影響
01:29
and it had changed who I was on a core核心 level水平.
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他們的反應直入我心深處
01:33
A part部分 of me had become成為 alienated疏遠 from myself.
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我心中的一部分開始疏遠自己
01:37
I was seeing眼看 myself not from my perspective透視,
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我曾不敢用自己的角度審視自身
01:41
but vividly生動地 and continuously一直 from the perspective透視
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而是不斷地、深深地受到他人的成見
01:45
of other people's人們 responses回复 to me.
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影響我看待自己的方式
01:48
As a result結果, I knew知道 I needed需要 to make my own擁有 stories故事
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有感於此,我知道我必須為自己寫下新篇
01:53
about this experience經驗,
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關於這次經歷
01:55
new narratives敘事 to reclaim回收 my identity身分.
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重塑自尊,再創新天
01:58
["Finding查找 Freedom自由: 'By'通過 creating創建 our own擁有 stories故事 we learn學習 to take the texts文本 of our lives生活 as seriously認真地 as we do 'official''官方' narratives敘事.' — Davis戴維斯 2009, TEDx的TEDx Women婦女"]
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[ 尋找自由:在開創自己的故事時,
我們學會認真看待寫照生命的一字一句,就如同我們在自敘人生一樣。── Davis 2009, TEDxWomen]
02:01
I started開始 making製造 work
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於是我開始藝術創作
02:03
that aimed針對 to communicate通信 something
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旨在與他們傳遞
02:06
of the joy喜悅 and freedom自由 I felt when using運用 a wheelchair輪椅 --
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我使用輪椅時的快樂與自由
02:11
a power功率 chair椅子 -- to negotiate談判 the world世界.
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我叫它做「能量椅」── 助我涉足天下
02:16
I was working加工 to transform轉變 these internalized內在 responses回复,
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我想扭轉深深影響我的外間反應
02:22
to transform轉變 the preconceptions先入為主 that had so shaped成形
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透過出奇不意的影像
02:26
my identity身分 when I started開始 using運用 a wheelchair輪椅,
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改變世間對我當初使用輪椅時
02:29
by creating創建 unexpected意外 images圖片.
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那些曾經牢不可破的成見
02:33
The wheelchair輪椅 became成為 an object目的 to paint塗料 and play with.
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輪椅變成一件可畫可玩的器具
02:39
When I literally按照字面 started開始 leaving離開
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當我為我的快樂與自由
02:41
traces痕跡 of my joy喜悅 and freedom自由,
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留下印記
02:45
it was exciting扣人心弦 to see
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令人耳目一新的是
02:47
the interested有興趣 and surprised詫異 responses回复 from people.
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人們看到作品時的意外反應
02:51
It seemed似乎 to open打開 up new perspectives觀點,
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這像開創了新的眼界
02:54
and therein在其中 lay鋪設 the paradigm範例 shift轉移.
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進而奠定典範轉移的基石
02:57
It showed顯示 that an arts藝術 practice實踐
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這證明藝術創作
02:59
can remake翻拍 one's那些 identity身分
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可以重塑一個人的自我
03:01
and transform轉變 preconceptions先入為主 by revisioningrevisioning the familiar.
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用重新審視的方式,來轉化先入為主的看法
03:06
So when I began開始 to dive潛水, in 2005,
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當2005年我決定坐輪椅潛水
03:10
I realized實現 scuba水肺 gear齒輪 extends擴展 your range範圍 of activity活動
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我認為潛水裝置於常人抑或輪椅使用者
03:14
in just the same相同 way as a wheelchair輪椅 does,
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其實發揮同等功能,擴展在水中的自由度
03:16
but the associations協會 attached to scuba水肺 gear齒輪
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但全副潛水裝上陣
03:19
are ones那些 of excitement激動 and adventure冒險,
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給人刺激歷奇的印象
03:21
completely全然 different不同 to people's人們 responses回复 to the wheelchair輪椅.
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同時徹底改變外人對輪椅用者的看法
03:25
So I thought, "I wonder奇蹟 what'll什麼會 happen發生
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於是我想:如果將兩者結合效果會如何?
03:28
if I put the two together一起?" (Laughter笑聲) (Applause掌聲)
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(笑聲) (掌聲)
03:33
And the underwater水下 wheelchair輪椅 that has resulted導致
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於是我們成功製作了一部潛水輪椅
03:37
has taken採取 me on the most amazing驚人 journey旅程
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於過去七年
03:40
over the last seven years年份.
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帶我體驗了非一般的水底旅程
03:42
So to give you an idea理念 of what that's like,
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為了讓你們明白這非凡經歷
03:45
I'd like to share分享 with you one of the outcomes結果
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我想和大家分享這件法寶
03:48
from creating創建 this spectacle場面,
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帶給我的其中一次奇觀
03:50
and show顯示 you what an amazing驚人 journey旅程 it's taken採取 me on.
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以及那個精彩美妙的旅程
03:54
(Music音樂)
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(音樂)
07:24
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
07:31
It is the most amazing驚人 experience經驗,
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這是我至今最難忘的經歷
07:34
beyond most other things I've experienced有經驗的 in life.
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及此過去種種皆無可比擬
07:37
I literally按照字面 have the freedom自由 to move移動
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基本上我可以自由活動
07:40
in 360 degrees of space空間
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360 度亳無拘束
07:43
and an ecstatic欣喜若狂 experience經驗 of joy喜悅 and freedom自由.
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體驗至高無上的快樂與自由
07:47
And the incredibly令人難以置信 unexpected意外 thing
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實在喜出望外,妙不可言
07:49
is that other people seem似乎 to see and feel that too.
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見證此事的人都可以感同身受
07:54
Their eyes眼睛 literally按照字面 light up,
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他們眼前一亮
07:56
and they say things like, "I want one of those,"
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會說「我想要那部潛水椅!」
07:59
or, "If you can do that, I can do anything."
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或者「如何她做得到,我也能做任何事!」
08:03
And I'm thinking思維, it's because in that moment時刻
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我想,因為刻下
08:06
of them seeing眼看 an object目的
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他們見證著
08:09
they have no frame of reference參考 for,
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一件前所未見的事
08:11
or so transcends超越 the frames of reference參考
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或者超乎他們
08:14
they have with the wheelchair輪椅,
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對於「輪椅」的想像
08:16
they have to think in a completely全然 new way.
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他們得開放新思維
08:19
And I think that moment時刻 of completely全然 new thought
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我認為成就創新看法之時
08:23
perhaps也許 creates創建 a freedom自由
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或許同時開創了新的自由
08:25
that spreads利差 to the rest休息 of other people's人們 lives生活.
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這自由亦延及其他人的生命之中
08:29
For me, this means手段 that they're seeing眼看
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對我來說,這代表他們看得到
08:33
the value of difference區別,
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差異的價值
08:35
the joy喜悅 it brings帶來
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箇中的快樂
08:37
when instead代替 of focusing調焦 on loss失利 or limitation局限性,
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而非著眼於喪失或拘束
08:41
we see and discover發現 the power功率 and joy喜悅
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以新觀點看世界
08:45
of seeing眼看 the world世界 from exciting扣人心弦 new perspectives觀點.
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可以發掘出振奮人心的能量與喜悅
08:49
For me, the wheelchair輪椅 becomes
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於我而言
08:51
a vehicle車輛 for transformation轉型.
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輪椅是一部轉化器
08:54
In fact事實, I now call the underwater水下 wheelchair輪椅 "Portal門戶,"
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其實我現在稱呼這潛水輪椅為「變身器」
08:57
because it's literally按照字面 pushed me through通過
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因為事實上它從後推我一把
09:00
into a new way of being存在,
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幫我踏入全新的生命
09:01
into new dimensions尺寸 and into a new level水平 of consciousness意識.
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揭開人生新一頁,對自身重新覺悟
09:05
And the other thing is,
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另一方面
09:07
that because nobody's沒有人是 seen看到 or heard聽說
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因為從來無人知曉
09:09
of an underwater水下 wheelchair輪椅 before,
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潛水輪椅應該是怎樣
09:12
and creating創建 this spectacle場面 is about creating創建
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創造這法寶時
09:14
new ways方法 of seeing眼看, being存在 and knowing會心,
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就同時創新了一種看法、認知、認同
09:17
now you have this concept概念 in your mind心神.
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現在這看法已植根在你的腦海了
09:20
You're all part部分 of the artwork藝術品 too.
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你們也是這件作品的一部分了
09:24
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by LUI Syut 呂雪
Reviewed by 謝侑珍 Shieh, You-Jen

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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