How I use art to tackle plastic pollution in our oceans | Alejandro Durán

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Bruce Sung

This is Sian Ka'an.

這是錫安卡恩。

Just south of Tulum on Mexico's Caribbean coast,

位在墨西哥加勒比海 沿岸城市圖盧姆的南方，

it's a federally protected reserve,

它是由聯邦保護的保留區，

a UNESCO World Heritage Site

聯合國教育科學文化組織世界遺產，

and one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet.

也是世界上生物多樣性 最高的地區之一。

But when I first visited in 2010,

但，2010 年，我初次造訪那裡時，

I was horrified and completely confused

我嚇壞了，且感到非常困惑，

as to why the beach was covered in trash.

不懂為什麼海灘都被垃圾覆蓋。

I soon realized that it was floating in from all over the world.

我很快就了解，這些垃圾 是從世界各地漂來的。

I've since returned, after that first journey,

在那次初訪之後， 每年我都會回去好幾次，

several times a year

to visit Sian Ka'an, to the country of my birth,

回到我出生的國度， 處理這些垃圾。

to work with this trash.

And so far,

目前，

we've documented garbage from 58 different countries and territories

我們已經記錄到來自六大洲

五十八個不同國家和領土的垃圾，

on six continents,

all washing ashore in this paradise in Mexico.

都被沖到這個墨西哥天堂的岸邊。

Although I can never know where a product was dropped,

雖然我不可能知道 產品是在哪裡被丟棄的，

I can, at times, based on the label, know where something was made.

有時，我可以根據標籤， 知道產品的產地。

In red, you see all of the countries represented by their trash

錫安卡恩的垃圾來自

這些被標紅色的國家。

in Sian Ka'an.

Such as these Haitian butter containers in all shapes and sizes,

比如這些海地的奶油罐， 有各種形狀和大小，

Jamaican water bottles.

牙買加的水瓶。

Not surprisingly, a lot of the stuff is from neighboring Caribbean countries,

不意外，很多垃圾來自 鄰近的加勒比海國家，

but the stuff is from everywhere.

但也有來自世界各地的。 這些是全球各地水瓶的例子。

Here's a sampling of international water bottles.

And one of the ironies is that a lot of what I'm finding

諷刺的是，我找到的許多東西

are products for cleaning and beautification,

都是清潔和美化用的產品，

such as this item from the United States,

比如這個來自美國的物品，

which is actually made to protect your plastic,

它是用來保護你的塑膠。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

shampoo from South Korea,

來自南韓的洗髮精、

bleach from Costa Rica

來自哥斯大黎加的漂白劑、 挪威的廁所清潔劑。

and a Norwegian toilet cleaner.

And it's items that are all very familiar to us,

這些都是我們熟悉的產品，

or at least I hope you're familiar with these toothbrushes.

至少，希望各位很熟悉這些牙刷。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Kitchen utensils.

廚房用具。

Toys.

玩具。

I'm also finding evidence of burning plastic trash,

我也有找到燃燒塑膠垃圾的證據，

which releases cancer-causing fumes into the air.

燃燒垃圾會釋放 致癌氣體到空氣中。

People ask what's the most interesting item that I've found,

有人問我找到 最有趣的東西是什麼，

and that's by far this prosthetic leg.

目前是這支義肢。

And in the background, if you can see that blue little bottle cap,

各位可以在背景中看到 一個藍色的小瓶蓋，

at the time that I found it,

在我發現它的時候， 它其實是這隻小寄生蟹的家。

it was actually the home to this little hermit crab.

This guy is so cute.

這小傢伙好可愛。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And it's these fascinating objects,

這些迷人的物品，

but also horrifying objects,

也是駭人的物品，

each with their own history,

每個都有自己的歷史，我用它們

that I use to make my ephemeral, environmental artworks.

來製作我的短期環境藝術品。

And it all started with this image in February of 2010,

一切都始於 2010 年二月 我初訪錫安卡恩拍下的這張照片。

when I first visited Sian Ka'an.

I noticed that blue was the most prevalent color among the plastic.

我注意到，塑膠 最常見的顏色是藍色。

Purple is actually the most rare color. It's kind of like gold to me.

最罕見的則是紫色。 對我來說就像金礦一樣。

But blue is the most prevalent,

但藍色最常見， 所以我收集了些藍色物品，

and so I gathered some of the blues

and made this little arrangement in front of the blue sky

在藍色天空和藍色加勒比海 前面做了這樣的佈置。

and blue Caribbean waters.

And when I took a photograph and looked at the test shot,

當我拍攝完，看著我的測試照片，

it was like a lightning bolt hit me in that moment,

我當下好像被閃電打到一樣，

and I knew I was going to have to come back

我知道我將來必須要回來，

to create a whole series of installations on location

就地創造一整個系列的裝置，

and photograph them.

並將它們拍下來。

So this turned out to be a sketch

結果，它變成了靈感草圖，

for a work that I completed three years later.

讓我在三年後完成了一件作品。

I had no idea that almost 10 years later,

我完全沒有想到，近十年後，

almost a decade later, I'd still be working on it.

我還會繼續做這件事。

But the problem persists.

但問題持續存在。

So I'm going to show you some of the images

所以，我接著要給各位看的照片，

from the series that I called "Washed Up: Transforming a Trashed Landscape."

是來自我命名為《沖上岸：轉變 滿是垃圾的地景》的系列作品。

Please keep in mind that I do not paint the garbage.

請記住，我不會將垃圾上色。

I'm collecting it and organizing it by color

我只是收集垃圾， 在我發現它們的那個海灘上

on the same beaches where I find it.

將它們根據顏色來重新整理。

This is my precious trash pile as seen in 2015

這是我寶貴的垃圾堆， 時間是 2015 年，

after putting on a first edition of the "Museo de la Basura,"

在展示完了第一版的 《Museo de la Basura》

or "Museum of Garbage."

也就是《垃圾博物館》之後留下的。

It's fully my intention to care for this garbage,

我的意圖完全是要照料這些垃圾，

to exalt it,

頌揚它們，將它們放到台座上， 並為它們策劃展出。

put it on a pedestal

and to curate it.

We have all seen devastating images

我們都看過一些動物因為肚子裡

of animals dying with plastic in their bellies.

滿是塑膠而死的驚人照片。

And it's so important for us to really see those

很重要的是，我們要真的 能夠去看見、消化它們。

and to take those in.

But it's by making aesthetic -- some might say beautiful -- arrangements

但，方法是用世界上的垃圾 來做出有美感的——

有些人可能會說是 漂亮的——安排設計，

out of the world's waste,

that I'm trying to hook the viewer

我在嘗試吸引觀者，

to draw in those that might be numb to the horrors of the world

把那些對世界上這些恐怖景象 已經麻木的人帶進來，

and give them a different way to understand what's happening.

給他們不同的方式， 來了解發生的狀況。

Some have described the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

有些人說太平洋垃圾帶

as an island twice the size of Texas,

像是個有德州兩倍大的島嶼，

but I've been told that it's hard to see

但我聽說很難看見它，

because it's more like a smog.

因為它比較像是煙霧。

So through my artwork,

所以，透過我的藝術作品，

I attempt to depict the reality of what's happening with our environment

我嘗試描繪出現實，呈現 我們的環境發生了什麼狀況，

and to make the invisible visible.

讓看不見的東西能被看見。

My key question at first, after starting the project,

在剛開始這個計畫時， 我最初的關鍵問題是：

was, "What do I do with the garbage when I'm done?"

「我用完這些垃圾之後 要如何處理它們？」

I was told by some that it could be damaged goods

有人告訴我，這些垃圾 可能是受損商品，

after traveling across the ocean and being exposed to the elements,

因為歷經海中漫長的路途， 暴露在不同元素中，

that it could become degraded and potentially ruin a batch of recycling.

很有可能會被降解， 因而破壞了一整批的回收。

The landfill was not a happy resting place, either.

掩埋場也不是個美好的安息地。

And then finally, it dawned on me,

終於，在我做了這些努力，

after all of the effort by me and all of the people who have helped me

還有這麼多人協助我收集、 整理、清理這些垃圾之後，

collect and organize and clean this trash,

我漸漸明白，我應該保留它們。

that I should keep it.

And so that's the plan,

所以，那就是我的計畫，

to use it and to reuse it endlessly

使用它們，再使用它們， 無止境地創作更多藝術作品，

to make more artwork

and to engage communities in environmental art-making.

並讓社區參與環境藝術創作。

This is an example of a community-based artwork that we did last year

這個例子，就是我們去年 以社區為基礎創作的藝術作品，

with the local youth of Punta Allen in Sian Ka'an.

合作對象是錫安卡恩的 蓬塔艾倫村年輕人。

A key part of the community work are the beach cleans

這件社區作品中很重要的 一部分是清理海灘

and education programming.

及教育課程安排。

And as this community around the project grows

隨著和這個專案計畫 合作的社區漸漸成長，

and as my trash collection grows,

隨著我的垃圾收藏漸漸成長，

I really believe that the impact will as well.

我真心相信產生的影響 也會漸漸成長。

And so, over the years,

所以，這些年來， 我有點迷上了我的垃圾收藏。

I've become a little obsessed with my trash collection.

我把垃圾打包裝箱帶著旅行。

I pack it into suitcases and travel with it.

I take it on vacation with me.

渡假時還隨身帶著。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And in the latest work,

在最新的作品中，

I've begun to break the two-dimensional plane of the photograph.

我開始打破照片的二維平面。

I'm really excited about this new work.

我對這件新作品感到十分興奮。

I see these as living artworks

我把它們視為是活的藝術作品，

that will morph and grow over time.

會隨著時間蛻變、成長。

Although my greatest wish is that I run out of the raw material

雖然，我最大的願望是：

我會用光創作這些作品 所需要的材料，

for this work,

we're not there yet.

但我們還沒達成。 所以，在專案計畫的下階段，

So in the next phase of the project,

I plan on continuing the community work

我打算持續做社區創作，

and making my own work at a much larger scale,

並把我自己的作品規模再擴大，

because the problem is massive.

因為這個問題很重大。

Eight million tons of plastic waste enter our oceans every year,

每年有八百萬公噸的塑膠廢棄物

進入我們的海洋，

destroying ecosystems.

摧毀生態系統。

Right now, as I speak, there's literally an oil spill of plastic happening.

現在，我正在說話時， 就真的有塑膠在流入海洋中。

I see this project as a plea for help and a call to action.

我把這個專案計畫視為是在

懇求協助、呼籲行動。

Our health and future is inextricably linked

我們的健康和未來，跟海洋的 健康和未來有著分不開的關聯。

to that of our oceans.

I call the project "Washed Up: Transforming a Trashed Landscape,"

我把這個專案計畫稱為《沖上岸： 轉變滿是垃圾的地景》，

but it's actually transformed me

但其實，是它轉變了我，

and made me rethink my own behaviors and consumption.

讓我重新思考 我自己的行為和消費。

And if it can help anybody else gain more awareness,

如果它能協助其他人 更意識到這個議題，

then it will have been worthwhile.

那就值得了。

Thank you so much.

非常謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）