Aparna Rao: Art that craves your attention

翻译人员: William Choi 校对人员: Sicong Ye

Hi. So today, I'd like to share some works in progress.

大家好，今天我想和你们 分享一些正在创作中的作品。

Since we are still realizing these works,

这些作品还在创作中，

we are largely working within the realm

我们很大程度上是

of intuition and mystery, still.

靠直觉和神秘感。

So I'm going to try and describe

我现在尝试描述一下

some of the experiences that we're looking for

从每个作品所得到的

through each of the works.

一些体验。

So the first work is called the Imperial Monochromes.

第一个作品名为《单色帝国》，

A viewer sort of unsuspectingly walks into the room,

一个观众懵懵懂懂地走进房间，

and catches a glimpse of these panels

然后瞥见墙上的画板

in a messy composition on the wall.

胡乱的摆放着。

Within seconds, as if the panels have noticed

就在这一瞬间，画板彷佛注意到

the presence of the viewer,

观众的存在，

they appear to panic and sort of get into

它们显得害怕，然后

a strict symmetry.

就排列整齐、对称严格。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So this is the sketch of the two states.

这是两种不同状态的草图。

One is total chaos. The other is absolute order.

一种是彻底混乱，另一种是绝对的有序。

And we were interested in seeing how little change

我们感兴趣看到，从一种状态到另一种

it takes to move from one state to the other state.

要多么微小的变化。

This also reminded us of two very different pictorial traditions.

这个也让我们想起 两种截然不同的传统图案。

One is the altar tablets of the 15th century,

一种是15世纪的祭坛桌，

and the other is about 100 years ago,

另一种是约 100 年前

Malevich's abstract compositions.

马列维奇的抽象作品。

So I'm just going to take you to a video.

现在给你们看一个视频，

To give you a sense of scale,

为了让你们对尺度有个概念，

the largest panel is about two meters high.

最大的画板约两米高，

That's about this much. And the smallest one is an A4.

大概是这样， 而最小的是一张 A4 纸。

So a viewer enters the space,

一个观众走进来，

and they snap to attention.

它们就迅速摆正。

And after a while, if the viewer continues

过了一会，如果这个观众

to remain in the space,

仍然继续待在那里，

the panels will sort of become immune

这些画板就好像

to the presence of the viewer

不受观众的存在所影响，

and become lax and autonomous again,

而变得慵懒而自己只管自己的事，

until they sort of sense a presence in the room or a movement,

直到它们感觉到 房间里有人或者其它活动，

when they will again snap to attention.

它们才会再次摆正。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So here it appears as if it's the viewer

看起来好像是观众的出现

that's sort of instigating the sense of order among the panels,

使这些画板变得秩序井然，

but it could also be the other way around,

但是也可用另外一种形式去理解，

that the panels are so stuck within

这些画板卡在

their preconditioned behaviors

预先设置的行为模式，

that they sort of thrust the viewer with the role of a tyrant.

好像它们把观众推进 一个暴君的角色。

So this brings me to a quieter, small work

然后给我带来一个较安静 较细小的作品，

called Handheld.

名叫《手提》。

The viewer sees a piece of paper

观众会看到一张纸，

that's mounted on the far end of the wall,

这张纸挂在墙的远方，

but when you go closer, you see that it's a blank

但如果你走近， 你会发现这是一张

A4, or a letter-sized piece of paper,

空白 A4 纸，或信纸尺寸的纸，

that's held on either side

两只小手握着

by two small hands

纸的两边，

that appear to be carved with a great deal

看起来小手是由一小块木头

of attention and care from a small block of wood.

以极大的专注力 和细心雕刻出来的。

The viewer also sees that this entire sculpture

观众也会看到整个雕塑

is sort of moving very slightly,

一点点的移动，

as if these two hands are trying

两只手就像

to hold the paper very still

要握住这张纸，

for a long period of time,

保持着长时间静止不动，

and somehow are not managing to.

但不知怎么就是做不到。

So this instability in the movement

所以移动的不稳定

very closely resembles the unsteady nature

就类似于手提相机

of images seen through a handheld camera.

照出的图片。

So here I'm going to show you two tandem clips.

现在我要向你们展示 两个串联的片段，

One is through a still camera

一个由静止的相机所拍摄，

and the other is through a handheld camera.

另一个则由手提相机所拍。

And you immediately see how the unsteady nature

你立刻就看到视频的不稳定

of the video suggests the presence

怎样显示出观察者的存在

of an observer and a subjective point of view.

以及一种主观的角度。

So we've just removed the camera

如此我们只要拿走相机，

and transferred that movement onto the panel.

把这种不稳定的移动转移到画板。

So here's a video.

这就是那段视频。

You have to imagine the other hand. It's not there yet.

你要想象另一只手的存在， 它还没在那里，

But to us, we're sort of trying to evoke

但对我们来说，在某种意义上，

a self-effacing gesture, as if there's a little person

正尝试不出风头地摆出姿势，

with outstretched arms

就像有一个小人躲在

behind this enormous piece of paper.

这张大白纸背后伸出双手

That sort of likens it to the amount of strain

把它拉紧，

to be at the service of the observer and present

为观众服务一样，

this piece of paper very delicately to the viewer

小心翼翼地把这张纸呈现在

in front of them.

观众面前。

The next work is Decoy.

下一个作品名叫《诱饵》，

This is a cardboard model, so the object

这是一个纸板模型，

is about as tall as I am.

物体大概跟我一样高，

It has a rounded body, two arms,

它的身体呈圆形，有两条手臂，

and a very tall, head-like antenna,

和一条非常长的头状天线，

and its sole purpose is to attract attention towards itself.

它唯一的目的是要 把注意力吸引到自己身上。

So when a viewer passes by,

当一个观众经过时，

it sort of tilts from side to side,

它会左右摇摆，

and moves its arms more and more frantically

随着观众越走越近

as the person gets closer.

它就越疯狂地挥舞着两条手臂。

So here is the first test scenario.

这是第一个测试场景，

You see the two movements integrated,

你看到两个动作整合一起，

and the object seems to be employing

这个模型好像

its entire being in this expression of desperation.

要把整体投入到绝望的表情。

But the idea is that once it's got the person's attention,

然而我的想法是 它一旦得到这个观众的关注，

it's no longer interested, and it looks for the next person whose attention to get.

就不再对他感兴趣， 然后开始寻找下一个观众。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So this is the final fabricated body of the Decoy.

这是《诱饵》的最后一个制作，

It appears to be mass-manufactured

它看来是大规模生产的，

like it came out of a factory

就像工厂造出来一样，

like vacuum cleaners and washing machines.

比如吸尘器和洗衣机。

Because we are always working

因为我们总会

from a very personal space,

在很个人的空间工作，

we like how this consumer aesthetic

我们喜欢这种消费者的审美观念，

sort of depersonalizes the object

使物体非人格化，

and gives us a bit of distance

而且至少在外表上，

in its appearance, at least.

让我们保持一点距离。

And so to us this is a kind of sinister being

所以对我们来说， 这是某种险恶的意图，

which is trying to distract you from the things

试图把你的注意力分散

that actually need your attention,

从实际需要注意的地方转移过来，

but it could also be a figure that needs a lot of help.

但是它也可以是一个 需要大量帮助的模型。

The next work is an object,

下一个作品是一件物体，

that's also a kind of sound instrument.

也算是一种乐器，

In the shape of an amphitheater

形状似是一个圆形露天剧场，

that's scaled to the size of an audience

像某人从舞台上看到一个

as perceived from somebody from the stage.

按比例缩小的观众。

So from where I'm standing,

从我站着的地方

each of you appears to be this big,

你们每个人大概就是这么大，

and the audience sort of takes the entire

而观众也差不多

field of my vision.

遮挡了我整个视线。

Seated in this audience are 996 small figures.

996 个小模型坐在观众席上，

They're mechanically enabled to clap

它们可以按照自己的自由意志

of their own free will.

机械地拍手，

This means that each of them can decide

意味着它们每一个都可以

if and when they want to clap,

决定是否拍手、什么时候拍手、

how hard, for how long,

用多少力气拍手、拍手多长时间，

how they want to be influenced by those around them or influence others,

它们要怎样被周围的模型影响， 或者影响其它模型，

and if they want to contribute to innovation.

以及是否想推动创新。

So when the viewer steps in front of the audience,

当一个观众走到这些模型前，

there will be a response.

它们就会发生反应，

It could be a few claps or a strong applause,

可能是寥寥几声拍手声， 也可能是热烈拍手，

and then nothing happens until the viewer

然后就没有动静了，

leaves the stage, and again the audience will respond.

直至观众离开了舞台， 这些模型又有反应，

It could be anything from a few feeble claps

可能是观众席传来

from members in the audience,

几声有气无力的拍手声，

or it could be a very loud ovation.

或是非常热烈的鼓掌。

So to us, I think we're really looking

因此对我们来说， 真的要把每个模型

at an audience as its own object

看成一个独立的个体

or its own organism

或者是独立的有机体，

that's also got a sort of musical-like quality to it,

而且拥有一种像音乐的素质，

an instrument.

像一种乐器。

So the viewer can play it

观众可以演奏，

by eliciting quite complex and varied,

引发相当复杂和变化多端的

nuanced musical or sound patterns,

微妙音乐或音效模式，

but cannot really provoke the audience

但是不能迫使模型

into any particular kind of response.

发出任何特别反应，

So there's a sense of judgment and capriciousness

所以这是一个判断，

and uneasiness involved.

涉及反复无常和不安。

It also has an alluring and trap-like quality to it.

它也有一种像陷阱一样诱人的特质。

So here if you see we're quite excited about

这里你可看到， 有关这个头部分割开

the image of the head splitting to form the two hands.

形成两只手的图像， 我们相当振奋，

So here's a small visual animation,

这是一个小小的视觉动画，

as if the two sides of the brain are sort of clashing

就像脑袋的两边互相碰撞

against each other to kind of make sense

要去表达

of the duality and the tension.

二元性和张力。

And here is a prototype.

这是一个原型。

So we can't wait to be engulfed by 996 of them.

我们迫不及待地想 被 966 个模型包围。

Okay, this is the last work. It's called the Framerunners.

好的，这是最后一个作品 名叫《边框跑者》，

It comes out of the idea of a window.

意念来自于一扇窗，

This is an actual window in our studio,

这是我们工作室里一扇真实的窗，

and as you can see, it's made up of three

你可看到，它有三种不同厚度的

different thicknesses of wooden sections.

木头部件，

So we used the same window vocabulary

所以我们用同样的想法

to construct our own frame or grid

建造自己的框架或方格，

that's suspended in the room and that can

悬挂在房间里，

be viewed from two sides.

也可从两边看到。

This grid is inhabited by a tribe of small figures.

这个格子里住着一个 小模型所组成的部落。

They're also made up of three different sizes,

它们也有三种不同的尺寸，

as if to suggest a kind of perspective

就像在一个平地上

or landscape on the single plain.

看到的视角或风景。

Each of these figures can also run backward

这里每个小模型也可以

and forward in the track

在轨道上前后跑动，

and hide behind two adjacent tracks.

也可以藏身于两条轨道之间。

So in contrast to this very tight grid,

跟这些非常紧密的格子相比，

we wanted to give these figures a very comical

我们希望赋予这些小模型

and slapstick-like quality,

很漫画、很闹剧的感觉，

as if a puppeteer has taken them

就像一个操纵木偶的人

and physically animated them down the path.

真的在轨道上操纵它们一样。

So we like the idea of these figures

我们喜欢这种感觉，

sort of skipping along

这些小模型跳来跳去、

like they're oblivious and carefree

没有烦恼、无忧无虑

and happy-go-lucky and content,

逍遥自得，

until they sort of sense a movement from the viewer

直到它们感觉到观众的动作，

and they will hide behind the fastest wall.

就会藏身到最牢固的墙后面。

So to us, this work also presents its own contradiction.

对我们来说，这个作品 也表现出自己的矛盾。

These figures are sort of entrapped

这些小模型就像

within this very strong grid,

被困在坚固的格子里，

which is like a prison, but also a fortress,

像个监狱，但也可以说是城堡，

because it allows them to be oblivious

因为这个格子 让它们可以忘记烦恼，

and naive and carefree and quite oblivious

变得天真逍遥，

of the external world.

几乎忘记外界的存在。

So all these real life qualities that I talk about

所有我提及到的特质 都是来自真实的生活，

are sort of translated to a very specific

可说是转化成一种

technical configuration,

很特别的技术性设置，

and we were very lucky to collaborate

我们非常荣幸

with ETH Zurich to develop the first prototype.

和苏黎世联邦理工大学合作， 制造出第一个原型。

So you see they extracted the motion cogs

你可以看到，他们从动画里

from our animations and created a wiggle

抽取动作，创造一钟摆动的动作，

that integrated the head-bobbing movement

结合了摇摆头

and the back-and-forth movement.

和前后的移动。

So it's really quite small.

这个真的很小，

You can see it can fit into the palm of my hand.

你可以看到我把它握在手心里。

So imagine our excitement when we saw it

当我们在工作室里 看到它真的在运转，

really working in the studio, and here it is.

你可以想象我们是多么激动。 它就在这儿。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Thank you.

谢谢

(Applause)

（笑声）