Nathalie Miebach: Art made of storms

譯者: Kai Cheong Chan 審譯者: Ana Choi

(Music)

(音樂)

What you just heard

你剛聽到的

are the interactions of barometric pressure, wind and temperature readings

是錄自2007年颶風諾埃爾(Noel)

that were recorded of Hurricane Noel in 2007.

的氣壓、風速和氣溫的讀數的互動。

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

音樂家按這樣一個天氣數據的立體圖型來演奏。

Every single bead, every single colored band,

每一粒珠子，每一粒顏色的珠子，

represents a weather element

都代表了一個可以閱讀為音符

that can also be read as a musical note.

的一個天氣元素。

I find weather extremely fascinating.

我覺得天氣非常令人著迷。

Weather is an amalgam of systems

天氣對大家來說本質上是無形的

that is inherently invisible to most of us.

是多個系統的混合體。

So I use sculpture and music

所以我利用雕塑和音樂來創造它,

to make it, not just visible,

不單只使它可看得到，

but also tactile and audible.

還可摸得到和聽得到。

All of my work begins very simple.

我的做法很簡單。

I extract information from a specific environment

我以非常低科技的儀器 --

using very low-tech data collecting devices --

一些隨便可在五金店能買到的 --

generally anything I can find in the hardware store.

從特定環境中收集信息。

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

然後我把信息跟在互聯網上找到的東西 --

satellite images, weather data

衛星影像，天文台的天氣數據，

from weather stations as well as offshore buoys.

以及海上的浮標比較。

That's both historical as well as real data.

那些是歷史的，又是實時的數據。

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

然後我把這些數字在你看到的這些剪貼板上組合起來。

These clipboards are filled with numbers.

這些剪貼板都佈滿數字。

And from all of these numbers,

而在這些數字裡，

I start with only two or three variables.

我只從兩三個變數開始。

That begins my translation process.

就這樣開展我的翻譯流程。

My translation medium is a very simple basket.

我翻譯的媒介是一個很簡單的籃子。

A basket is made up of horizontal and vertical elements.

一個由橫向和縱向元素造成的籃子。

When I assign values to the vertical and horizontal elements,

當我把數值配置在縱向和橫向的元素上，

I can use the changes of those data points over time

我可以用這些數據隨時間遷移的變化

to create the form.

來創造型狀。

I use natural reed,

我使用天然蘆葦，

because natural reed has a lot of tension in it

因天然蘆葦很有彈性

that I cannot fully control.

令我無法完全控制它。

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

這意味著是數字，而不是我，

not me.

控制這型狀。

What I come up with are forms like these.

我造出了像這些的很多型狀。

These forms are completely made up

這些型狀完全根據

of weather data or science data.

天氣或科學數據構造出來。

Every colored bead, every colored string,

每一粒顏色珠子，每一條顏色線條，

represents a weather element.

代表一個天氣元素。

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

加起來，這些元素，不單只構成其型狀，

but they also reveal behavioral relationships

也揭示了

that may not come across

在平面上不會遇到

through a two-dimensional graph.

的行為關係。

When you step closer, you actually see

當你靠近些，你實際上可看到

that it is indeed all made up of numbers.

它確實是由數字構成的。

The vertical elements

縱向的元素

are assigned a specific hour of the day.

配上了一天內的特定時間。

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

繞一圈是24小時的時間線。

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

但它同時配上了一個氣溫的區間。

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

在那個網格上，我編織上潮水漲退讀數，

water temperature, air temperature and Moon phases.

水溫、氣溫和月亮盈虧。

I also translate weather data into musical scores.

我也把天氣數據譯成音符。

And musical notation allows me a more nuanced way

樂譜又容許我在無損其內容的情況下

of translating information

更細緻入微地

without compromising it.

翻譯信息。

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

所以這些音符都是來自天氣數據。

Every single color, dot, every single line,

每種顏色，每一點，每條線

is a weather element.

都是一個天氣元素。

And together, these variables construct a score.

加起來，這些變數組成了一個樂章。

I use these scores to collaborate with musicians.

我用這些樂章跟音樂家合作。

This is the 1913 Trio

這是1913三人組

performing one of my pieces

在密爾沃基藝術博物館

at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

演奏我的一篇作品。

Meanwhile, I use these scores as blueprints

同時，我以這些樂章作為藍圖

to translate into sculptural forms like this,

演譯成這樣的雕塑

that function still in the sense

使它仍有

of being a three-dimensional weather visualization,

立體視覺化的氣象的感覺，

but now they're embedding

但現在又包含了

the visual matrix of the musical score,

樂章的視覺矩陣，

so it can actually be read as a musical score.

而實際可解讀成一篇樂章。

What I love about this work

我熱愛這工作的原因是

is that it challenges our assumptions

它挑戰了那一種視覺詞彙屬於藝術，

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

那一種屬於科學的假設。

This piece here is read very differently

這件作品會根據它放置的地方

depending on where you place it.

有不同的解讀。

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

放它在藝術博物館，它便是雕塑。

You place it in a science museum,

放它在自然博物館，

it becomes a three-dimensional visualization of data.

它變成立體視覺化的數據。

You place it in a music hall,

放它在音樂廳，

it all of a sudden becomes a musical score.

它突然間又變成了一篇樂章。

And I really like that,

我真的很喜歡這樣，

because the viewer is really challenged

觀眾真正受到挑戰,

as to what visual language

究竟視覺語言

is part of science versus art versus music.

是屬於科學，藝術，還是音樂的一部份?

The other reason why I really like this

另一個我實在喜歡這樣的原因,

is because it offers an alternative entry point

是它提供了進入科學的複雜性的

into the complexity of science.

另一個切入點。

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

我們並非每一個人都擁有自然科學的博士學位。

So for me, that was my way into it.

對我來說，這是我進入這片天地的方法。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

(掌聲)