Nathalie Miebach: Art made of storms

Translator: Anqi Feng Reviewer: Sunny Kan Ngai Hang 簡毅恒

(Music)

（音樂）

What you just heard

你啱啱聽到嘅

are the interactions of barometric pressure, wind and temperature readings

就係從 2007 年諾爾颶風中記低嘅

that were recorded of Hurricane Noel in 2007.

氣壓、強風同溫度嘅協奏曲

The musicians played off a three-dimensional graph of weather data like this.

音樂家演奏嘅其實係 一個立體嘅音樂數據圖

就好似呢個

Every single bead, every single colored band,

每一粒珠，每一條線

represents a weather element

都代表咗一種天氣元素

that can also be read as a musical note.

亦代表咗一種音符

I find weather extremely fascinating.

我發現天氣好有趣

Weather is an amalgam of systems

佢係由我哋大部分人都睇唔到嘅 各種系統構成嘅

that is inherently invisible to most of us.

So I use sculpture and music

所以，我利用雕塑同音樂

to make it, not just visible,

令佢「睇得到」

but also tactile and audible.

而且「掂得到」同「聽得到」

All of my work begins very simple.

我嘅創作一開頭都係好簡單

I extract information from a specific environment

我係喺特定環境嗰度

using very low-tech data collecting devices --

用好低科技嘅工具收集資料

generally anything I can find in the hardware store.

幾乎呢啲工具都可以 從平時嘅舖頭入邊買到

I then compare my information to the things I find on the Internet --

然後，我將我得到嘅呢啲資料 同我喺網上搵到嘅——

satellite images, weather data

從氣象站、海上浮標上得到嘅天氣數據

from weather stations as well as offshore buoys.

同埋衛星圖像——比較

That's both historical as well as real data.

既有歷史數據，亦有現實數據

And then I compile all of these numbers on these clipboards that you see here.

然後，我將呢啲數字彙 編喺呢啲寫字板上面

These clipboards are filled with numbers.

就係你宜家睇到呢個

上面寫滿咗數字

And from all of these numbers,

再由呢啲數字出發

I start with only two or three variables.

我由兩到三種變量開始

That begins my translation process.

成個「翻譯」過程就係噉開始

My translation medium is a very simple basket.

我嘅「翻譯」介質就係一個好簡單嘅籃

A basket is made up of horizontal and vertical elements.

一個有橫向同縱向元素嘅籃

When I assign values to the vertical and horizontal elements,

當我賦予數值畀呢啲橫向、縱向元素時

I can use the changes of those data points over time

我就可以利用隨着時間變化嘅數值

to create the form.

嚟創造一種藝術形態

I use natural reed,

我用天然蘆葦

because natural reed has a lot of tension in it

係因為天然蘆葦嘅韌性高

that I cannot fully control.

但你又無辦法完全控制到

That means that it is the numbers that control the form,

噉意味著，唔係我 而係呢啲數字控制著形態

not me.

What I come up with are forms like these.

我最終得到嘅就係好似呢啲噉嘅形態

These forms are completely made up

呢啲完全由天氣數據或者係科學數據 構成嘅形態

of weather data or science data.

Every colored bead, every colored string,

每粒彩珠，每條彩條

represents a weather element.

代表咗一種天氣元素

And together, these elements, not only construct the form,

呢啲元素喺埋一齊

唔單單建構出一種形態

but they also reveal behavioral relationships

更建構咗一種二維圖表無法表達出嘅 一種元素之間嘅行為關係

that may not come across

through a two-dimensional graph.

When you step closer, you actually see

你如果行近啲，你會睇到

that it is indeed all made up of numbers.

呢個完全係由數字建構而成嘅

The vertical elements

呢啲垂直嘅元素代表一日之內鐘頭

are assigned a specific hour of the day.

So all the way around, you have a 24-hour timeline.

所以，一個圈代表 24 小時

But it's also used to assign a temperature range.

不過佢亦都包含咗溫度嘅範圍

On that grid, I can then weave the high tide readings,

喺呢個上邊，我可以加入潮漲讀數

water temperature, air temperature and Moon phases.

水溫、氣溫同埋月相

I also translate weather data into musical scores.

我亦都將呢啲天氣數據轉化成音符

And musical notation allows me a more nuanced way

音符呢種方式，畀我可以更細膩

of translating information

以更無損嘅方式翻譯訊息

without compromising it.

So all of these scores are made up of weather data.

所以呢啲音符都係由天氣數據編寫嘅

Every single color, dot, every single line,

每隻色、點、線都係一種音樂元素

is a weather element.

And together, these variables construct a score.

加埋一齊 呢啲音樂元素就完成咗一份樂譜

I use these scores to collaborate with musicians.

我同音樂家合作演奏呢啲樂譜

This is the 1913 Trio

呢個係「1913三重奏」樂隊

performing one of my pieces

演奏緊我一件喺 Milwakee 藝術博物館 收藏嘅作品

at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Meanwhile, I use these scores as blueprints

同時，我又以呢啲樂譜作為藍本

to translate into sculptural forms like this,

將佢哋翻譯成噉樣嘅雕塑作品

that function still in the sense

令天氣可以立體噉睇得到

of being a three-dimensional weather visualization,

but now they're embedding

不過依家，佢哋嵌入咗音符

the visual matrix of the musical score,

so it can actually be read as a musical score.

畀人讀到件樂譜

What I love about this work

我之所以鍾意呢件作品

is that it challenges our assumptions

係因為佢挑戰我哋對點定義 一種視覺語言係屬於藝術抑或科學

of what kind of visual vocabulary belongs in the world of art, versus science.

This piece here is read very differently

要點樣睇呢件作品，取決於你擺佢喺邊

depending on where you place it.

You place it in an art museum, it becomes a sculpture.

如果你擺喺博物館入邊 佢就係件雕塑

You place it in a science museum,

擺喺科學博物館入邊

it becomes a three-dimensional visualization of data.

佢就變成咗一件立體嘅數據模型

You place it in a music hall,

你將佢擺喺音樂廳度

it all of a sudden becomes a musical score.

佢突然間就會變成咗一份樂譜

And I really like that,

我好鍾意呢樣嘢

because the viewer is really challenged

因為觀眾對於視覺語言係藝術 定係音樂嘅分類

as to what visual language

is part of science versus art versus music.

真係被挑戰

The other reason why I really like this

我鍾意呢個嘅另一個原因

is because it offers an alternative entry point

就係佢提供咗另外一種 認識科學奧妙嘅方法

into the complexity of science.

And not everyone has a Ph.D. in science.

唔係所有人都係科學博士

So for me, that was my way into it.

所以對於我嚟講 呢個就係我了解科學嘅方法

Thank you.

多謝

（掌聲）

(Applause)