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

翻译人员: Gu Yu 校对人员: Gloriya Haralanova

As a conceptual artist,

作为一位概念派艺术家，

I'm constantly looking for creative ways to spark challenging conversations.

我经常寻求创新的方式 通过绘画、雕塑、视频和表演

I do this though painting, sculpture, video and performance.

去启发大家思考 一些有挑战性的话题。

But regardless of the format,

但是抛开形式不谈，

two of my favorite materials are history and dialogue.

我最喜欢的材料是历史和对话。

In 2007, I created "Lotus,"

在2007年，我创造了“莲花”，

a seven-and-a-half-foot diameter,

一个直径约2.3米

600-pound glass depiction of a lotus blossom.

重达600磅的 莲花花瓣玻璃刻绘作品。

In Buddhism, the lotus is a symbol for transcendence

在佛教中，莲花是超然的象征

and for purity of mind and spirit.

是纯净的意念和精神的象征。

But a closer look at this lotus

但是仔细看这个莲花，

reveals each petal to be the cross-section of a slave ship.

每一个花瓣都是 贩卖奴隶的船只的横截面。

This iconic diagram was taken from a British slaving manual

我所临摹的图像来自于 英国的奴役手册，

and later used by abolitionists to show the atrocities of slavery.

它后来被废奴主义者 用来展示奴隶制的残忍。

In America, we don't like to talk about slavery,

在美国我们不愿意 讨论奴隶制，

nor do we look at it as a global industry.

我们也不把奴隶制 当成全球的产业。

But by using this Buddhist symbol,

用这个佛学象征

I hope to universalize and transcend

我希望可以让大家 意识到非裔美国人的历史，

the history and trauma of black America

治愈他们的的创伤，

and encourage discussions about our shared past.

并且鼓励有关我们共同的过去的讨论。

To create "Lotus," we carved over 6,000 figures.

为了创作“莲花” 我们雕刻了6000多个人物。

And this later led to a commission by the City of New York

之后美国纽约议会

to create a 28-foot version in steel

在青年鹰学院

as a permanent installation at the Eagle Academy for Young Men,

制造了一个直径8.5米的钢铁版本。

a school for black and latino students,

青年鹰学院是一所 为非裔和拉丁裔学生服务的学校。

the two groups most affected by this history.

这两类人是受历史影响最大的，

The same two groups are very affected by a more recent phenomenon,

同样是他们近来 又到了巨大的影响。

but let me digress.

我后面会继续讲这个话题。

I've been collecting wooden African figures

我一直在全球的 纪念品商店和跳蚤市场

from tourist shops and flea markets around the world.

收集木质非洲人物雕塑。

The authenticity and origin of them is completely debatable,

他们的来源和真实性 是很值得怀疑的，

but people believe these to be imbued with power,

但是人们相信雕塑里蕴含能量

or even magic.

甚至魔法。

Only recently have I figured out how to use this in my own work.

直到最近我才找到 它们用在我的作品中的办法。

(Gun shots)

（枪声）

Since 2012, the world has witnessed the killings of Trayvon Martin,

2012年开始 世界见证了塔拉万·马丁、

Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice

迈克尔·布朗、埃里克·加纳 桑德拉·布兰德、塔米尔·莱斯

and literally countless other unarmed black citizens

等一系列手无寸铁的 非裔公民

at the hands of the police,

被警察射杀，

who frequently walk away with no punishment at all.

并且警察经常无罪开释。

In consideration of these victims

想到这些受害者

and the several times that even I,

和很多次我自己的经历，

a law-abiding, Ivy League professor,

作为一位守法的春藤盟校的教授

have been targeted and harassed at gunpoint by the police.

我也曾经被警察袭击 被枪口直接指着。

I created this body of work simply entitled "BAM."

想到这些 我创作了这个艺术 并且简单的命名为“嘣”。

It was important to erase the identity of each of these figures,

为了让他们看起来一样 并且容易被忽视

to make them all look the same and easier to disregard.

抹去这些雕塑的身份 是非常重要的。

To do this, I dip them in a thick, brown wax

我先把它们放在 浓稠的棕色液体蜡之中，

before taking them to a shooting range

然后带到了射击场

where I re-sculpted them using bullets.

在那里我用子弹进行重新雕塑。

And it was fun,

使用大型枪支

playing with big guns and high-speed video cameras.

配合高速摄影机是非常有趣的。

But my reverence for these figures kept me from actually pulling the trigger,

但是我对于这些雕塑的尊敬 让我无法扣动扳机

somehow feeling as if I would be shooting myself.

突然我感觉我好像在 对我自己射击。

Finally, my cameraman, Raul, fired the shots.

最后我的摄像师，劳尔 替我开了枪。

I then took the fragments of these

我取回打碎的雕塑

and created molds, and cast them first in wax,

并制造模具， 在外表裹上一层蜡，

and finally in bronze like the image you see here,

最后镀上铜色 就像你们看到的这样。

which bears the marks of its violent creation

每一个雕塑都有着 暴力制造的印记

like battle wounds or scars.

就像战场上的伤痕。

When I showed this work recently in Miami,

当我最近在迈阿密展出我的作品时，

a woman told me she felt every gun shot to her soul.

一位女性告诉我她感到 每一枪都打在她的灵魂上。

But she also felt that these artworks

同时她觉得这些艺术品

memorialized the victims of these killings

纪念了这些死去的受害者

as well as other victims of racial violence throughout US history.

也纪念了整个美国历史上 因为种族犯罪而牺牲的所有人

But "Lotus" and "BAM" are larger than just US history.

但是“莲花”和“嘣”的意义 已经超越了美国历史。

While showing in Berlin last year,

去年在柏林展出时，

a philosophy student asked me what prompted these recent killings.

一位哲学学生问我 是什么引发了最近的杀戮。

I showed him a photo of a lynching postcard

我向他展示了一张20世纪早期 的一张画着处以私刑

from the early 1900s

的明信片。

and reminded him that these killings have been going on for over 500 years.

我告诉他这些杀戮已经持续了超过500年历史。

But it's only through questions like his

但是只有通过像他所问的问题

and more thoughtful dialogue about history and race

和对于历史和种族的更多深刻的对话

can we evolve as individuals and society.

我们个人和社会才会进化。

I hope my artwork creates a safe space

我希望我的艺术品 可以为这样坦诚的交流

for this type of honest exchange

提供一个安全的环境

and an opportunity for people to engage one another

也为那些投身于 真实且必要的对话之中的人

in real and necessary conversation.

提供一个机会。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）