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

Translator: Yolanda Wei Reviewer: Alan Watson

As a conceptual artist,

作為一個概念派藝術家

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

我一直搵緊創意嘅方式 去引起激烈嘅對話

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

於是我通過畫畫、雕塑、視頻 同表演完成呢件事

But regardless of the format,

但唔計形式

two of my favorite materials are history and dialogue.

我最鍾意嘅兩種材料係歷史同對話

In 2007, I created "Lotus,"

2007 年，我創作咗「蓮」

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

一個直徑七呎半

重 600 磅嘅玻璃蓮花

600-pound glass depiction of a lotus blossom.

In Buddhism, the lotus is a symbol for transcendence

喺佛教裡邊，蓮花係超脫

and for purity of mind and spirit.

同內心純潔嘅象徵

But a closer look at this lotus

但係我哋行進啲睇呢朵蓮花

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

就會發現每個花瓣都係一艘 運奴船嘅切面

This iconic diagram was taken from a British slaving manual

敢諷刺嘅畫面黎自一本英國奴隸手冊

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

佢之後仲俾廢奴主義者拎黎 做證明奴隸主暴行嘅證據

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

喺美國，我哋唔鍾意講關於奴隸嘅嘢

nor do we look at it as a global industry.

我哋亦都唔鍾意將佢睇成係 一個全球性嘅產業

But by using this Buddhist symbol,

但係通過呢個佛教嘅標誌

I hope to universalize and transcend

我希望等更加多嘅人

the history and trauma of black America

知道美國黑人呢段歷史同創傷

and encourage discussions about our shared past.

再激發關於我哋歷史嘅討論

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

為咗創作「蓮」，我雕咗六千幾幅人仔

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

呢幅作品之後，等紐約嘅一個委員會

to create a 28-foot version in steel

用鐵再整咗個二十八呎大嘅版本

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

作為老鷹男子學校嘅永久雕塑

a school for black and latino students,

佢係一間專門俾黑人同拉丁裔

the two groups most affected by this history.

即係受呢段歷史影響最大嘅 兩個種族嘅學校

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

呢兩個種族宜家俾一個 正在發生嘅現象影響緊

but let me digress.

但係先等我講下其他嘢

I've been collecting wooden African figures

我一直收藏緊非洲嘅木雕

from tourist shops and flea markets around the world.

從旅遊商店又好，從世界 各地嘅舊貨市場又好

The authenticity and origin of them is completely debatable,

好多人拗緊佢哋係咪堅嘢 同埋佢哋嘅起源

but people believe these to be imbued with power,

但係啲人相信佢哋充滿咗力量

or even magic.

甚至係魔法

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

呢排我先知我要點將呢啲 用系我嘅作品裡面

(Gun shots)

（槍聲）

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

從 2012 年開始，美國就發生咗 特雷沃馬丁事件

Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice

米高布朗、艾力加納、 山島布蘭德、蒂米爾萊斯事件

and literally countless other unarmed black citizens

同埋真係數唔清嘅

謀攻擊力嘅黑人公民俾警察誤傷嘅事件

at the hands of the police,

who frequently walk away with no punishment at all.

但係呢啲警察經常唔會受到任何懲罰

In consideration of these victims

諗到呢啲受害者

and the several times that even I,

同埋好幾次我

a law-abiding, Ivy League professor,

呢個守法嘅常春藤教授

have been targeted and harassed at gunpoint by the police.

都好幾次俾警察盤問過、同用支槍指住

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

所以我創造咗呢套叫做「BAM」嘅作品

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

重要嘅係要抹走每個人仔嘅特徵

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

等佢哋都睇起來一樣，唔容易俾人拎清

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

所以我將佢哋擺起好濃嘅棕色嘅臘裡邊

before taking them to a shooting range

再將佢哋攞去靶場

where I re-sculpted them using bullets.

用子彈打佢哋黎重新造型

And it was fun,

敢樣

playing with big guns and high-speed video cameras.

用槍同高速攝像頭創作，其實好好玩嘅

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

但係我對呢啲人仔嘅尊敬 等我唔敢真係開槍

somehow feeling as if I would be shooting myself.

因為我有時覺得我系度打緊自己

Finally, my cameraman, Raul, fired the shots.

最後係我嘅攝像師 Raul 開嘅槍

I then took the fragments of these

我再攞果啲碎片去做模

and created molds, and cast them first in wax,

先用臘整出初稿

and finally in bronze like the image you see here,

最後用銅整出定稿 就好似你哋宜家睇島嘅

which bears the marks of its violent creation

帶住受過暴力對待嘅痕跡

like battle wounds or scars.

就好似戰鬥過嘅傷口或者疤痕

When I showed this work recently in Miami,

我嘅作品呢排喺邁阿密展出

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

有個女人同我講佢覺得 每一槍都打系佢嘅心口

But she also felt that these artworks

但係姖又覺得呢啲作品

memorialized the victims of these killings

紀念緊各種事件中喪生嘅受害者

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

同埋美國歷史裡頭受過 種族暴力嘅其他受害者

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

但係「蓮」同「BAM」反映嘅 唔止係美國歷史

While showing in Berlin last year,

舊年喺柏林展出嗰陣

a philosophy student asked me what prompted these recent killings.

一個哲學系嘅學生問我 係咩嘢激發最近嘅事件

I showed him a photo of a lynching postcard

我俾佢睇咗一張

from the early 1900s

20 世紀早期對黑人 執行死刑嘅明信片

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

再提醒佢，呢啲殺戮已經 進行咗五百幾年

But it's only through questions like his

但係淨得通過好似佢呢啲問題

and more thoughtful dialogue about history and race

同埋更加多深入嘅 關於歷史同種族嘅討論

can we evolve as individuals and society.

我哋先可以進化為真正嘅個人同社會

I hope my artwork creates a safe space

我希望我嘅作品可以

為咁樣嘅坦承交流創造一個安全嘅空間

for this type of honest exchange

and an opportunity for people to engage one another

為大家互相進行真實必要嘅對話

in real and necessary conversation.

提供一個機會

Thank you.

多謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）