TEDIndia 2009
Alwar Balasubramaniam: Art of substance and absence
Alwar Balasubramaniam: 物質存在與缺失之藝術
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Alwar Balasubramaniam 的雕塑利用時間、形狀、光影、視角這四種或揭露或隱藏事物本質的感官錯覺與我們對話。在 TED 印度的舞臺上，藝術家利用幻燈片為我們展示了他的神奇設備。
Alwar Balasubramaniam - Artist
Sculptor, painter and printmaker Alwar Balasubramaniam makes work that crosses the boundary between art, perception and life. Full bio
Sculptor, painter and printmaker Alwar Balasubramaniam makes work that crosses the boundary between art, perception and life. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:16
The moment I say "school,"
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一當我說“學校”這個詞的時候，
00:18
so many memories come back to me.
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我的腦海裏湧現出很多回憶。
00:22
It's like after every exam, when I walk out,
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就像每次考試後我走出教室時，
00:25
the teacher would say, "Hey, come.
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老師會說：“嘿，過來一下，
00:27
How did you do?"
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做得怎樣啊？”
00:29
I would say with a great smile, "I will definitely pass."
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我會咧開嘴笑：“我一定會及格的，放心吧。”
00:31
And I didn't understand why,
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那時我不懂為什麼
00:33
in one hand they say, "Speak the truth,"
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一方面他們說：“要說真話，”
00:35
in the other hand, when you say the truth, they hated you.
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另一方面，當你說真話的時候，他們又不滿意了。
00:37
So it went on like that,
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所以一直那樣糾結著，
00:39
and I didn't know where else to find myself.
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找不到自己的位置。
00:42
So I remember those nights
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因此我記得以前
00:44
I used to go to sleep
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每晚睡覺前
00:46
with asking help from [the] Unknown
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我會向未知求助，
00:49
because, for some reason,
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因為，基於某種原因
00:51
I couldn't believe what my father and mother
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我不能信奉
00:53
hanged in the Puja room as a god,
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我父母掛在廳前的神，
00:56
because my friend's family
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因為我朋友家
00:58
had something else as a god.
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又信另一種神。
01:00
So I thought, "I guess I'll pray to [the] Unknown
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所以我對自個兒說：“還是不要指名道姓地膜拜好了，
01:02
and ask help,"
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得到幫助的機會會大點兒。”
01:05
and started getting help from everywhere,
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至此以後便一發不可收拾，
01:07
each and every corner of my life at that time.
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什麼神都來幫我了。
01:11
My brothers started giving me a few tips about drawing and painting.
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比如我老哥開始在繪畫上給我一些指點。
01:14
Then, when I was in eighth standard
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然後，
01:17
around 13 years old,
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當我 大概13歲的時候，
01:20
I started working in a part-time job
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開始在一個叫putu的製作招牌的藝術家那兒
01:22
in one of the signboard artists called Putu.
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兼職。
01:28
And then school also started supporting me.
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又比如，學校開始給我提供支持與幫助：
01:30
"Oh, he's bad at studies,
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“哦，他在學習上是沒什麼花頭了，
01:32
but let him send to the drawing competitions."
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不過送他去繪畫比賽也許有戲。”
01:35
So it was good to survive with that little tool
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所以我得以倖存，
01:38
that I found to find my own place in school.
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並找到了自己在學校裏的位置。
01:42
And one of those competitions,
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在其中一次比賽中，
01:44
I just won a small, little transistor Philips radio.
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我贏來了一個小小的philips的晶體管收音機。
01:47
And I didn't have the patience to wait
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我那時極為猴急。
01:49
until I reached home.
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等不到回家就把它拆開了。
01:51
So I just switched on in the train, loudly.
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還在火車上，我調大了音量。
01:53
If you travel in Indian trains,
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如果你坐過印度火車，
01:55
you can see people listening to radio
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就知道人們喜歡聽收音機。
01:57
and, you know, even from their mobiles.
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甚至用手機聽。
01:59
So at that time -- and I was 13 --
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而那時候，-我才13--
02:01
and I was listening to just radio,
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所以我也聽收音機，
02:04
and someone happened to sit next to me,
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正好就有個人坐我旁邊，
02:06
like these three people are sitting here.
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就像坐在這邊的這三個人一樣。
02:08
You know, like just adjacent to me.
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就是坐我旁邊啦。
02:10
He just started asking, "Where did you buy the radio? How much is it?"
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他就開問了：“這收音機哪兒買的？多少錢啊？”
02:13
I said, "It's a prize from [an] art competition."
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我說：“這可是畫畫比賽的獎品。”
02:16
And he said, "Oh, I teach at a college of arts.
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他說：“哦，我在大學裏教畫畫呢。
02:19
I think
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我覺得，
02:21
you should study in a school of art.
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你應該在藝術學校裏學習，
02:23
You just quit school and come there."
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你直接退了學去那兒吧。”
02:25
So, why I'm telling you this,
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所以，我和你說這個的目的是，
02:27
you know, maybe, you know,
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也許，
02:29
whoever is sitting next to you can change your whole life -- it's possible.
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無論誰坐在你旁邊，都可能改變你的人生。這是有可能的。
02:32
It is that we need we need to be open and fine-tuned.
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只要我們足夠思想開明並具備潛質。
02:36
So that's what made me enter
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所以，這就是支持我
02:39
[the] college of arts after three attempts
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失敗三次仍繼續嘗試， 並最終進入藝術學院，
02:42
and just continue to inquire
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去做我真正想要
02:45
what I really want to do with art work, or art
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從事的藝術工作，
02:48
and finally I'm here in front of you.
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並最終站在你們面前的動力。
02:50
When I look back, you know,
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當我回首往事，
02:52
on what happened between that time
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去想在那時候與現在這段時間之間，
02:54
and now here --
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發生的事，
02:57
the last 10/15 years --
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在過去的10或15年裏，
02:59
I can see that most of the works
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我總結出大部分作品，
03:01
revolve around three subjects,
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都圍繞著三個主題，
03:04
but it was not intentional.
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但這不是故意的。
03:06
And I just start out with a trace because I was thinking,
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我的腦海裏浮現出一道軌跡，
03:08
"What really makes us?" -- you know,
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因為我在想，“究竟什麼造就了我們？”
03:10
it's actually [the] past, what makes a person.
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然後我恍然：是過去啊，是過去造就了我們。”
03:14
So I was thinking,
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所以我想，
03:16
but when you look at the past,
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當你回首過去，
03:18
the way to understand the past
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去理解過去的方法，
03:20
is only by the traces available,
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只有沿著留下的痕跡去追尋。
03:22
because we cannot go back [to] the past.
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因為 過去已如泥沙沉澱。
03:24
It can be ruins, or it can be music,
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它可能是一堆殘骸，也可能是一曲仙樂，
03:26
or it can be painting or drawing or writing, whatever it is.
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又或者留在油彩或墨水中，任何方式，
03:29
But it is just a kind of trace of that time.
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但，這些都是時間的指紋。
03:34
And that fascinated me,
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我沉迷於此，
03:36
to explore that territory.
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沉迷於開拓這片藝術的疆土。
03:40
So I was working on the line,
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所以當我遨遊於線條之間，
03:43
but instead of working about traces,
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去收拾這些痕跡，
03:47
I started capturing traces.
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捕捉它們，描繪它們。
03:50
So here are some of the works I would like to show you.
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現在我想給你們展示其中的一些作品。
03:53
So this is called "Self In Progress."
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這叫做：“進步的自我。”
03:56
It's just a trace of being in this body.
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它是寄居於這個身體的一道痕跡。
03:59
So here, what happened then,
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然後呢，
04:01
you know -- what I really enjoyed the most
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身體真的非常享受這個模具，
04:03
is that this sculpture
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就像這個雕像，
04:05
is nothing but a trace of myself.
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就是從我自己的過去而來的。
04:09
It's almost like a 3D photograph.
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簡直就像一張3D照片。
04:11
So there is an element of performance,
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裏面有表演的元素，
04:13
and there is an element of sculpture,
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雕刻的元素，
04:15
and there is an element of feeling one's self, so close to one's self.
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還有接近自我，感知自我的元素。
04:18
So it's almost like fossils for the future.
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簡直就像獻給未來的化石。
04:21
And then moved slowly
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然後呢，慢慢移動，
04:23
to explore the other possibilities of capturing traces.
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去探索捕捉過去的各種可能。
04:29
So this is what I was talking about, while molding,
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所以，這就是我制模時候講的話。
04:32
it's such a great experience,
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這種體驗非常之棒，
04:34
because we have freedom of like walking,
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因為我們擁有自由如走路，
04:36
or moving my hand or, moving around in the space,
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自由地揮揮手。
04:39
but the moment this becomes solid,
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但是在一瞬間這些都凝固了，
04:42
when you cannot move even an inch,
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你一動也不能動，
04:45
because this is plaster of Paris, so the moment you pour it it's like liquid;
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因為是熟石灰，這一刻它流動自如，
04:48
but after 20 minutes, it's almost like a hard stone.
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20分鐘後，他就硬如磐石了。
04:52
So this is capturing the trace of a thumbprint
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這是對指紋的捕捉，
04:56
because, knowingly or unknowingly,
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因為，知覺或不知，
04:58
whatever we do, you know, we leave our traces here.
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無論我們做什麼，總是留下痕跡。
05:01
So I just thought, "I'm going to capture
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所以我想，我將捕捉，
05:04
thumbprint, footprint,
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指紋，趾紋。
05:06
or whatever traces we leave as humans."
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任何我們作為人類留下的痕跡。
05:09
This is the trace of fire,
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這是火的痕跡，
05:12
this is the trace of sun.
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這是太陽的。
05:15
Because when I was capturing traces, you know,
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因為當我捕捉痕跡時，
05:17
this thought comes to me always:
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我總是想到， 是不是，
05:20
is it, only when the object touches the thing and it leaves the trace,
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一個物體自由移動，碰到了另一個物體，留下了痕跡，
05:23
or is there other ways to capture it?"
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或有沒有其他方法來捕捉呢？”
05:25
So this work is nothing but like --
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這個作品是--
05:27
because of the focal length of the lens,
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因為鏡頭的焦距問題，
05:29
it just shows what is on the other side.
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只顯示出了另外一邊是什麼。
05:33
So I just put the paper on the focal length,
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所以我就把紙放在焦距上，
05:35
which was an etching print,
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它是張蝕刻畫，
05:37
then I got the portrait of [the] sun from sunlight.
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然後從陽光那兒我就得到了太陽的肖像。
05:41
This is called "Dawn to Dawn."
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這個叫“黎明”
05:43
What I did here, I just put like 10 feet [of] paper
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我做的呢，就是，放了10英尺的紙
05:46
then put a coconut rope,
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然後 嗯，
05:48
and just burnt it.
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嗯，
05:50
So it took about 24 hours to get this line.
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花了24小時弄的。
05:52
So wherever the fire is eating the paper,
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所以無論哪兒紙張在被火侵蝕，
05:54
that's what becomes the work --
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就成了作品了。
05:56
detail.
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細節。
06:02
Even though we have traces
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即使我們有痕跡，
06:04
when we try to understand them,
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當我們試圖理解它們，
06:08
the perception and context
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知覺和環境
06:10
play a major role to understand it.
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起的作用最大。
06:12
So do we really understand what it is,
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所以我們真正理解了嗎?
06:15
or are we trying to get
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或我們只是
06:17
what we think it is?
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按我們臆想去理解它的呢?
06:19
Then move towards questioning the perception
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那麼就提問直覺吧
06:21
because, even though there are traces,
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因為，即使有痕跡，
06:23
when you try to understand them, you know you play a major role.
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當你去理解時，你扮演的角色也是責任重大。
06:26
So like let's say even a simple act.
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就像，比如說，一項簡單的行為中。
06:28
How many of you saw a cow crossing in India
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你們中多少人看到過印度的牛過馬路，
06:31
while you were coming from Bangalore to Mysore?
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當你們從班加羅爾到邁索爾的時候？
06:33
Can you just raise the hand?
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舉下手好嗎?
06:36
If you just ask an opinion
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如果你問一個觀點意見什麼的，
06:38
of how, everyone can interpret it.
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每個人的理解都不一樣。
06:41
Like, let's say, if a schoolteacher says,
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比如，一老師說的話，
06:43
she'll simply say, "To get to the other side."
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她會直接說，“為了到另一邊去。”
06:45
Why the cow was crossing the road, you know.
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當被問及為什麼奶牛穿越馬路，
06:48
The answer can be so different if Potter said it.
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如果哈利波特說的話，答案又不一樣了。
06:51
He would say, "For the greater good."
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他會說，“為了更大的利益。”
06:54
Martin Luther King would say,
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馬丁路德金會說，
06:56
"I imagine a world where all cows will be free
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我有一個夢想，所有奶牛都獲取自由去
06:59
to cross the road,
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穿越馬路，
07:01
without having their motives called into question."
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而不受任何爭議。”
07:04
(Laughter)
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（笑）
07:06
Imagine Moses comes now, and he sees
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想像一下摩斯現在來了，然後他看到了
07:08
the same cow walking around the street.
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那頭同樣的奶牛在穿越馬路。
07:10
He would definitely say,
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他一定會說，
07:12
"God came down from heaven,
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“神從天而降，
07:15
and he said unto the cow,
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然後祂對奶牛說，
07:18
'Thou shalt cross the road.'
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“汝應穿越馬路。”
07:21
And cow crossed the road,
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然後奶牛穿越了馬路，
07:23
and there was much rejoicing as a holy cow."
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然後大受鼓舞，天降神牛啊，天降神牛啊。
07:26
(Laughter)
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（笑）
07:28
Freud would say,
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佛洛伊德會說，
07:30
"The fact that you're at all concerned
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“你如此關注的事實
07:32
reveals your underlying sexual insecurity."
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揭露了你隱藏的性欲。”
07:35
(Laughter)
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（笑）
07:37
If we ask Einstein,
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如果我們問愛因斯坦，
07:39
he would say, "Whether the cow crossed the road,
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他會說：“是奶牛穿越馬路，
07:42
or the road moved underneath the cow,
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還是奶牛身下道路的移動，
07:44
depends on your frame of reference."
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都取決於你的參照系。”
07:46
(Laughter)
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（笑）
07:48
Or Buddha --
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那麼，佛陀呢。
07:50
if he saw the same cow, he would say,
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如果他看見了同一頭奶牛，他會說，
07:52
"Asking this question denies your own nature [as a] cow."
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“問這個問題否定了你自身的奶牛本性。”
07:55
(Laughter)
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（笑）
07:58
So, what we see
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所以，我們看見的，
08:01
is just what we think often,
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經常只是我們的所想而已，
08:04
and most of the time, we don't see what it is.
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並且大部分時候，我們看不見事物的本質。
08:07
It just all depends on one's perception.
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我們只是依靠於我們的直覺。
08:10
And context, what is really context?
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那麼語境呢，語境是什麼？
08:13
You know, I could just show you this little piece of paper.
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我們來看一下這張小紙片就知道了。
08:16
Because I always think meaning doesn't really exist.
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因為我總是認為根本就沒有什麼意義之說。
08:21
The meaning of what we create in this world doesn't exist.
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我們在這世上的創造物根本是沒什麼意義的。
08:23
It's just created by the mind.
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意義什麼的只存在於我們的腦袋裏。
08:26
If you look at this piece of paper,
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如果你看著這張紙，
08:29
this is the breadth
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這是寬，
08:31
and this is called length.
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這是長，
08:33
This is how we've been taught in school.
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這就是我們在學校裏學到的。
08:37
But if you tear it in the middle --
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但是如果你從中間把它撕開。
08:40
now, I didn't touch this breadth,
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現在，我不碰到這寬，
08:42
but still, the meaning of this changes.
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但改變仍然已經發生。
08:44
So what we conceive as a meaning
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所以我們所謂意義，
08:46
is always not there;
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根本是不存在的；
08:48
it's on the other side,
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它在事物的另一面，
08:50
even when we say dark, light,
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即使是我們說的黑暗，光亮，
08:52
good, bad, tall, short --
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好，壞，高，矮--
08:54
all meaning it doesn't exist in reality.
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現實中並不存在。
08:57
It's just that being a human,
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那只是，作為一個人類，
08:59
the way we train to perceive the reality
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通過被訓練一些看待事物特定方法，
09:02
creates this meaning.
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我們自個創造了意義。
09:04
So this work from this period
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所以這階段的這個作品，
09:06
is mostly like --
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很像是--
09:08
you know, this is a work called "Light Makes Dark."
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呃，他叫做“光明製造黑暗”
09:10
It's just captured through from the lamp.
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這是從臺燈那兒捕捉到的。
09:13
So the lamp is not just giving a light, it's also giving a darkness.
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所以臺燈不僅創造了光亮，也創造了黑暗。
09:16
So this is a work of art, which is just trying to explore that.
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所以這就是一個試圖探索這個主題的藝術作品。
09:20
This is called "Limit Out."
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這叫“無極限”
09:22
This shows how limited our eye or hearing sense or touch --
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他展示了我們的視覺聽覺的極度受限--
09:25
do we really see?
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我們真的看到了嗎？
09:27
This is an exact negative.
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這是個極好的佐證。
09:29
It's about six inches deep in the wall,
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它嵌在牆裏大約6英尺，
09:31
but it just appears like it's coming out of the wall.
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但看上去好像他正要從牆裏鑽出來呢。
09:37
You know the wall is almost like --
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這個牆就像是--
09:39
this is the first skin, and this is the second,
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這是第一層表皮，第二層，
09:41
and there's a third, and each creates a meaning.
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第三層，每一層都有一個意義。
09:43
And we're just pulling the wall off the gallery.
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我們只是把牆脫離出整個畫廊。
09:46
Again, "Inward Out."
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再一次，“裏外”
09:48
It's a full-figure cast from myself.
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它是由我自己鑄成的。
09:50
It's about eight inches deep.
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大概8英尺深。
09:56
When I was doing that, I always wondered since I've worked with creators --
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當我在做它的時候，總是懷疑自己曾與造物主合作--
09:59
and now you know, I've moved to questioning the perception --
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現在到了提問知覺的時候了--
10:02
whenever I see the bird flying in the sky,
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無論何時我看到有鳥在天上飛
10:05
it just makes me feel like:
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就感到--
10:08
is there anything behind, are there any traces up there,
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他們有沒有留下什麼痕跡呢，有沒有呢?
10:11
which as a human, we don't see them?
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作為人，我們無法用肉眼看到的痕跡?
10:14
Is there any way to capture the thought
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有沒有一種方法能夠把這種想法
10:17
into visual art?
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投射到視覺藝術當中？
10:20
I couldn't find it.
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我找不到。
10:23
But a solution arrived
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但是停止工作安靜思考6、7個月後，
10:26
after being quiet and not working for about six, seven months,
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我終於想到了，
10:29
in the restroom,
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在一個餐館裏，
10:31
when I was changing the air freshener
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當我在換空氣清新劑的時候。
10:34
that goes from solid substance to vapor.
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它從固體昇華為氣體。
10:36
It's called Odonil.
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它就叫Odonil。
10:38
This is the work I made out of that material.
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這是我對那個素材的創作。
10:42
The process to get to make the sculpture was interesting,
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做雕塑的過程非常有趣。
10:44
because I wrote to Balsara,
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因為我給做空氣清新劑Odonil的
10:46
who produces that air freshener called Odonil,
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Balsara公司寫信。
10:48
saying, "Dear Sir, I am an artist. This is my catalogue.
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信上說，“親愛的先生，我是名藝術家，這是我的履歷。
10:50
Will you help me to make this sculpture?"
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你能幫我做這個雕塑嗎？”
10:52
They never wrote back to me.
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他們沒給我回信。
10:54
Then I thought, "I will go to the Small Scale Industries
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然後我就想，“那麼我就去一些小作坊
10:57
Facilitating Unit and ask help."
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尋求幫助吧。”
10:59
So I told them, "I'd like to start an air freshener company."
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所以我告訴他們，“我想要開一家空氣清新劑公司。”
11:03
They said, "Of course.
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他們說，“當然可以了。”
11:05
This is the fee for the project report,
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“這是工程價格報告，
11:07
and we will give you all the details," and they gave.
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過後會給你補充細節。”
11:09
Finally, I went back to them and said,
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最後，我又去找了他們告訴他們：
11:12
"It's not for starting the company, it's just to make my own work.
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我不是要開公司，只是想做我自己的作品。
11:15
Please come for the show."
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你們來看看我的演示吧。”
11:17
And they did.
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然後他們就來了。
11:19
And this work is in the Devi Art Foundation in Delhi.
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這幅作品是“德里的基礎”
11:22
In India, nobody really talks about works of art;
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在印度，沒有人真正關心藝術。
11:25
they always talk about the appreciation of art.
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他們只關心作品的價格，增值空間。
11:28
You buy this for 3,000 rupees,
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現在你用3000盧比買了這個，
11:30
it'll become 30,000 in two months.
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倆月後它就升值到30000了。
11:32
This is the craft that was going on,
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這就是事實，
11:34
but there are a few collectors
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但也有一些收藏者，
11:36
who also collect art which can depreciate.
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收藏可能貶值的作品。
11:38
And this was collected by Anapum --
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這是Anapum的收藏--
11:40
which is like, finally in the end, he will not have anything,
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其實最終它們不會值幾個錢的。
11:42
because it will evaporate.
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因為價值會蒸發。
11:46
So this is after a few weeks,
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這是幾星期以後的，
11:49
this is after a few months.
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幾個月以後的。
11:51
It's just all about questioning the preconceptions.
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這只是一個關於先入為主的問題。
11:54
So if someone says, "Oh, I see the portrait,"
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所以如果有人說，“哦，我看過那肖像。”
11:57
it may not be the portrait after a few months.
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幾個月後可能就不是肖像了。
11:59
And if they say it's solid,
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如果他們說它是固體，
12:01
it will not be solid, it will evaporate.
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它有可能不是固體，他會蒸發。
12:04
And if they say they don't get it,
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如果他們說他們沒拿到，
12:06
that's also not true,
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那也是謊言，
12:08
because it's in the air.
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因為他就彌漫於空氣中，
12:10
It's in the same gallery or in the same museum.
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在同一個畫廊或博物館的空氣中。
12:12
So they inhaled it,
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他們呼吸著它，
12:14
but they are not aware of it.
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卻渾然不覺。
12:17
While I was doing that work,
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當我在完成那件作品時，
12:19
my mom and my dad,
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我老爸老媽，
12:21
they were looking at it and they said,
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看著他然後說，
12:23
"Why do you deal with negative subjects all the time?"
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“為什麼你總是圍繞著這些稀奇古怪的題材？”
12:26
And I was like, "What do you mean?"
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然後我就說，“什麼意思啊？”
12:28
"Light makes dark and now evaporating self.
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“光亮製造了黑暗，然後現在又是會蒸發的細胞？
12:31
Don't you think it remained something about death," they said.
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你不覺得其中包含了一點關於死亡的意味嗎？”他們說。
12:34
"Of course not. For me," I'm thinking,
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“當然不是了，對於我來說。”我想，
12:36
"this is tucked in some small solid,
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“他是被塞入一些小的固體之中，
12:38
but the moment it evaporates,
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但他蒸發的瞬間，
12:40
it's merged with the whole."
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就融入了整個整體。”
12:42
But she said, "No. Still, I don't like it.
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但是她說，“不，我還是不喜歡。
12:44
Can you make something from nothing
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你作為一個雕塑家，
12:46
as a sculptor?"
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能夠實現從無到有的過程嗎？”
12:48
I said, "No, mom. It can't be.
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我說，“不行，老媽，不行的。
12:50
Because we can create
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因為我們可以去
12:53
a sculpture
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把土黏在一起
12:55
by gathering dust together,
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去做一個雕塑，
12:57
or we can break the sculpture and get the dust,
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或者我們可以打破雕塑來得到泥土，
13:00
but there is nowhere that we can bring dust into the universe."
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但是我們不能創造泥土。”
13:03
So, I did this work for her.
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所以我為她製作了這件作品。
13:06
It's called "Emerging Angel."
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它叫“浮現的天使”
13:08
This is the first day --
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這是第一天。
13:10
it just gives the appearance
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看起來像是
13:12
that one is becoming the other.
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一樣食物變成了另一樣。
13:14
So, the same sculpture
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所以，同一桌雕塑，
13:16
after a few days.
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幾天之後，
13:20
This is after 15/20 days.
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這是15，20天之後
13:23
Through that small little slit
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雖然那條小小的裂縫
13:25
between the glass box and the wood,
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存在於玻璃盒子和木頭之間，
13:27
the air goes underneath the sculpture and creates the other one.
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空氣鑽進了雕塑，然後又產生了另一條裂縫。
13:30
This gave me a greater faith.
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但他給了我一個更大的啟發。
13:32
That evaporating sculpture gave me a greater faith
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那個蒸發的雕塑給了我一個更大的，信念。
13:35
that maybe there is many more possibilities
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也許，會有更多的可能
13:37
to capture [the] invisible.
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去捕捉那些看不見的東西。
13:39
So what you see now
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所以你現在看到的東西，
13:41
is called "Shadow Foreshadow."
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叫做“預兆的影子”
13:44
And what I'd like to tell you
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我想告訴你的是，
13:46
is we don't see shadow, and we don't see light too;
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我們不是看見影子，也不是看見光亮，
13:49
we see the source of the light.
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我們看見的是光亮的源頭。
13:51
We see where it's bouncing, but we don't see [them] as they exist.
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我們看到的是他們的反射物，而不是他們本身的存在。
13:54
You know, that's why the night sky, we see the sky as dark,
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你知道，這就是為什麼，夜晚的時候。我們看到天是黑的，
13:57
but it's filled with light all the time.
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但其實它無時無刻不充滿光亮。
13:59
When it's bounced on the moon, we see it.
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當它在月球表面反射，我們看見了它
14:01
The same thing in the darkroom.
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暗室也是同樣道理。
14:03
The little dust particle will again, reflect the light,
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小的塵埃也會反射光亮，
14:06
and we realize the existence of light.
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然後我們就感覺出了光的存在。
14:08
So we don't see dark, we don't see light,
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我們看不到黑暗，也看不到光亮，
14:11
we don't see gravity, we don't see electricity.
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看不到引力，看不到電流。
14:14
So, I just started doing this work
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所以，我開始做這件作品
14:17
to inquire further
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來更深層次的探尋
14:20
about how to sculpt
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雕塑，
14:22
the space between this object and there.
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物體之間空間的方法。
14:25
Because, as a visual artist, if I'm seeing this and I'm seeing that --
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因為，在視覺藝術中，我看到了這個，那麼我也看到了那個--
14:28
but how to sculpt this, you know?
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但是你知道雕塑家們應該怎樣去描繪呢？
14:31
If we sculpt this, this has two reference points.
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如果我們雕這個的話，它有兩個參照點。
14:34
The skin of this is also representing this.
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它的表面也代表了這個。
14:37
And skin at the other end also represents the floor.
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另外一端的表皮也代表了地面。
14:40
I did this as an experiment
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我把這作為一項實驗來做，
14:43
of casting the shadow.
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你知道，鑄造影子。
14:45
So this is a corrugated box and its shadow.
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這個呢，是一個有波紋的盒子和它的影子。
14:48
Then the second one --
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第二個--
14:50
the moment you bring any invisible into the visible world
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你把不可見的東西視覺化的那一刻，
14:53
it will have all the characteristics of the visible existence.
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它就具備了所有可視物體的性質了。
14:56
So that produced a shadow.
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所以他又有了一個影子。
14:58
Then I thought, okay, let me sculpt that.
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然後我想，好吧，讓我把它雕出來。
15:00
Then, again, that becomes an object.
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然後，又一次地，它變成了一個物體。
15:02
Again, throwing light, then the third one.
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然後，第三個。
15:05
So what you see is nothing but shadow
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所以現在你只看得到影子的，
15:07
of a shadow of a shadow.
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影子的影子。
15:09
And then again, at that point, there is no shadow.
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然後又一次，在那個點上，沒有影子。
15:12
I thought, "Oh, good. Work is finished."
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我想，“哦，好的，完成了。
15:16
You can see the detail.
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你能看到細節。
15:22
This is called "Gravity."
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它叫“引力”
15:29
It's called "Breath." It's just two holes on the gallery wall.
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它叫“寬”。他就是在畫廊牆上的倆洞。
15:32
It's a false wall, which contains
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它是座假牆，裏面有，
15:34
like 110 cubic feet.
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大概110立方英尺。
15:36
So that hole actually
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所以事實上，那個洞，
15:38
makes the air come out and go in.
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實現了空氣的流通。
15:41
So where it's happening, we can see,
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我們能看目睹它在發生，
15:43
but what is happening will remain invisible only.
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但實際上發生的事永遠是不可見的。
15:45
This is from the show called "Invisible," at Talwar Gallery.
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這是從Talwar畫廊的一場秀上來的，
15:48
This is called "Kaayam."
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它叫做“Kayam”
15:50
Detail.
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細節。
15:55
And what I'd like to tell you,
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我想告訴你的是，
15:58
our senses are so limited --
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我們的感官如此之受限，
16:00
we cannot hear everything, we cannot see everything.
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我們什麼也得不到，什麼也看不到。
16:02
We don't feel, "I am touching the air,"
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我們不能感覺，“我正在觸摸空氣，”
16:04
but if the breeze is a little more faster, then I can feel it.
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但是如果氣流再快一點，那我能夠感覺到它。
16:08
So all of our construction of reality
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所以所有我們關於現實的建構，
16:11
is through these limited senses.
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都是通過這些極受限的感官。
16:13
So my recourse was like,
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所以求援就像是
16:15
is there any way to use all this
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又沒有一種方法來使用所有的這些
16:17
as just a symbol or a sign?
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作為純粹的標誌或記號？
16:21
And to really get to the point,
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而且真正要達到目的，
16:23
we should move beyond, you know,
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我們需要超越，
16:25
go to the other side of the wall, like in logic,
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走到牆的另一面，邏輯上來說，
16:27
like are invisible.
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看不見的地方。
16:29
Because when we see someone walks, we see the footprint.
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因為我們看到某人走路時，我們看到了腳印。
16:31
But if we're just cutting that footprint from the whole thing and trying to analyze it,
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但如果我們單純把腳印截取出來，並試圖去分析它，
16:34
you will miss the point
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會有失偏頗，
16:36
because the actual journey happens between those footprints,
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因為實際上旅程位於腳印之間，
16:39
and the footprints are nothing but passing time.
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而腳印只不過是在時間裏留下的痕跡。
16:41
Thank you.
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謝謝各位。
16:43
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Alwar Balasubramaniam - ArtistSculptor, painter and printmaker Alwar Balasubramaniam makes work that crosses the boundary between art, perception and life.
Why you should listen
Alwar Balasubramaniam's work aches to express the overlooked, the invisible, the inexpressible. Quiet white sculptural forms, hung on a wall, unlock philosophical questions as one watches the light pass over them. What is their form, and what is their shadow? What are those mysterious white hands reaching for, around the corner and through the wall?
Trained in painting and printmaking, Balasubramaniam has been experimenting with a range of materials (fiberglass, wax, gold) to create sculptural works that bring forth his ideas and his search process. His work is often very tactile, very physical, but it symbolizes an exploration of big questions: what defines the self? what confines us? how do light and shadow shape our view of the world?
Alwar Balasubramaniam | Speaker | TED.com