An underwater art museum, teeming with life | Jason deCaires Taylor

譯者: 易帆 余 審譯者: qianhui xia

10年前，

Ten years ago,

I had my first exhibition here.

我在這裡舉辦了我的第一次展覽。

I had no idea if it would work or was at all possible,

我不知道這是否行得通， 或者說是否有可能，

but with a few small steps and a very steep learning curve,

但隨著少許的小步驟， 及相當快速的學習，

I made my first sculpture, called "The Lost Correspondent."

我完成了我的第一件雕塑， 名叫" 遺失的通訊員 "

Teaming up with a marine biologist and a local dive center,

我與海洋生物學家 和當地的潛水中心合作，

I submerged the work off the coast of Grenada,

把這件作品沉放到 格林納達島的海岸，

in an area decimated by Hurricane Ivan.

一個被艾文颶風毀滅的地方。

And then this incredible thing happened.

然後難以置信的事發生了。

It transformed.

它變形了。

One sculpture became two.

一個雕塑變成兩個

Two quickly became 26.

很快地，兩個變二十六個。

And before I knew it,

在我還沒有反應過來的時候，

we had the world's first underwater sculpture park.

我們有了全球第一座 水底雕塑公園。

In 2009, I moved to Mexico and started by casting local fisherman.

2009年，我搬到墨西哥， 藉由雕塑當地漁民開始了我的生活。

This grew to a small community,

他們漸漸地成為一個小團體，

to almost an entire movement of people in defense of the sea.

後來幾乎發展成為 人們保護海洋的運動。

最後，變成一個水底博物館

And then finally, to an underwater museum,

with over 500 living sculptures.

有超過五百個栩栩如生的雕塑

Gardening, it seems, is not just for greenhouses.

園藝，不僅是溫室所特有的。

之後我們放大了一些設計品 :

We've since scaled up the designs:

"Ocean Atlas," in the Bahamas, rising 16 feet up to the surface

這是在巴哈馬群島的" 海洋地圖集 "， 雕塑高達16英呎

and weighing over 40 tons,

超過40噸重，

to now currently in Lanzarote,

最近在蘭薩羅特島

where I'm making an underwater botanical garden,

我在製作一個水下植物園，

the first of its kind in the Atlantic Ocean.

這是在大西洋第一個 水下植物園的嘗試。

Each project, we use materials and designs that help encourage life;

每一個項目，我們都使用那些 能夠促使生命生長的材料和設計；

a long-lasting pH-neutral cement provides a stable and permanent platform.

我們使用一種長效型中性的水泥， 它提供了穩定永久的平台。

It is textured to allow coral polyps to attach.

這些雕塑上的紋理讓珊瑚蟲得以附著。

We position them down current from natural reefs

我們把它們安置於水流 經過天然珊瑚礁的區域，

so that after spawning, there's areas for them to settle.

所以珊瑚蟲產卵之後， 它們可以在這裡定居下來。

The formations are all configured so that they aggregate fish

這些雕塑和珊瑚蟲成為一體

on a really large scale.

因此吸引大量的魚群聚集。

Even this VW Beetle has an internal living habitat

即使這台福斯金龜車 也有一個內部棲息地

to encourage crustaceans such as lobsters and sea urchins.

可以促進一些甲殼類動物， 像是龍蝦和海膽來棲息。

So why exhibit my work in the ocean?

那麼 我為什麼要在海洋 展覽我的作品呢？

Because honestly, it's really not easy.

說真的，這絕非易事。

When you're in the middle of the sea under a hundred-foot crane,

當你在海中央， 100 英呎起重機下面，

trying to lower eight tons down to the sea floor,

試著把八噸重的雕塑 下放到海床上時，

you start to wonder whether I shouldn't have taken up watercolor painting instead.

你會開始想 : 我是不是應該畫畫水彩畫就好了?

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

But in the end, the results always blow my mind.

但最終，這些成果總是讓我驚豔。

(Music)

( 音樂 )

The ocean is the most incredible exhibition space

海洋是最不可思議的展覽空間

an artist could ever wish for.

是藝術家最渴望的。

You have amazing lighting effects changing by the hour,

你有隨著時間而改變 的美麗燈光效果，

explosions of sand covering the sculptures in a cloud of mystery,

捲起的沙粒覆蓋了雕像， 為其帶來一種神秘感，

a unique timeless quality

一種獨特的永恆特質，

and the procession of inquisitive visitors,

還有好奇的游客們

each lending their own special touch to the site.

給這些雕塑帶來獨特的接觸。

(Music)

( 音樂 )

幾年後，

But over the years,

I've realized that the greatest thing about what we do,

我逐漸意識到 我們的作品的最偉大之處 ，

the really humbling thing about the work,

真正讓我們有敬畏之心的地方在於

is that as soon as we submerge the sculptures,

當我們把雕像放到海裡的時候

they're not ours anymore,

它們就再也不屬於我們的了，

because as soon as we sink them,

因為就在我們沉入它們的瞬間，

the sculptures, they belong to the sea.

那些雕塑,就屬於大海的了。

As new reefs form, a new world literally starts to evolve,

當新的珊瑚礁成型的時候 一個新的世界就開始出現，

a world that continuously amazes me.

一個讓我驚艷不斷的世界

It's a bit of a cliché, but nothing man-made

這也許是老生常談，

can ever match the imagination of nature.

但是任何人工的東西都無法與 大自然的想像力媲美。

Sponges look like veins across the faces.

海綿動物就像是臉上的血管，

Staghorn coral morphs the form.

鹿角珊瑚改變了雕塑的形式，

Fireworms scrawl white lines as they feed.

海毛蟲在進食時， 留下了白色的線條

Tunicates explode from the faces.

被囊動物像是從臉部爆炸竄出。

Sea urchins crawl across the bodies feeding at night.

海膽在晚上覓食的時候 爬過雕塑身體。

Coralline algae applies a kind of purple paint.

珊瑚藻塗上了一種 類似紫色的塗料。

The deepest red I've ever seen in my life lives underwater.

這是我在海底見過最深的紅色

海扇珊瑚隨著水波蕩漾。

Gorgonian fans oscillate with the waves.

Purple sponges breathe water like air.

紫海綿在水裡的呼吸像 呼吸空氣一樣

And grey angelfish glide silently overhead.

而灰色的神仙魚靜靜地從頭頂劃過。

And the amazing response we've had to these works

而這些作品給我們 帶來了驚人的反饋，

tells me that we've managed to plug into something really primal,

告訴我，我們成功地帶入一些 非常主要的東西，

because it seems that these images translate across the world,

因為似乎這些圖片無需翻譯 就可以在全世界傳送

and that's made me focus on my responsibility as an artist

而身為一位藝術家， 這使我關注到自身的責任，

and about what I'm trying to achieve.

以及我要嘗試達到甚麼目標?

I'm standing here today on this boat in the middle of the ocean,

今天我站在海中央的這條船上，

and this couldn't be a better place

沒有比這裡更適合的地方

to talk about the really, really important effect of my work.

去談論我的作品 真正重要的效應是什麼，

Because as we all know,

因為我們都知道，

our reefs are dying, and our oceans are in trouble.

我們的珊瑚礁正在死亡， 而我們的海洋正遇到麻煩

事情是這樣的 :

So here's the thing:

the most used, searched and shared image

迄今為止，我所有的作品中

of all my work thus far is this.

被使用、搜索和分享 最多的照片是這一張，

And I think this is for a reason,

我想這背後是有原因的，

or at least I hope it is.

或者說至少我希望背後有原因，

What I really hope is that people are beginning to understand

我所希望的是人們開始了解

that when we think of the environment and the destruction of nature,

當我們談起環境和 對大自然破壞的時候，

that we need to start thinking about our oceans, too.

我們也要想想我們的海洋。

Since building these sites, we've seen some phenomenal

自從做好這些雕塑群後， 我們已經看到一些現象

and unexpected results.

及一些出乎意料的結果。

Besides creating over 800 square meters of new habitats and living reef,

除了創造出八百平方米的 新珊瑚礁棲息地，

visitors to the marine park in Cancun now divide half their time

到坎昆海洋公園的遊客 如今會把他們的時間

between the museum and the natural reefs,

分一半給博物館， 一半留給自然珊瑚礁，

providing significant rest for natural, overstressed areas.

給自然中壓力過大的區域 留出了重要的休息時間。

Visitors to "Ocean Atlas" in the Bahamas highlighted a leak

到巴哈馬群島“ 海洋地圖集 ” 的游客注意到

from a nearby oil refinery.

附近煉油廠的漏油事件。

The subsequent international media forced the local government

隨後而來的就是國際媒體 施壓當地的政府

to pledge 10 million dollars in coastal cleanups.

要他們發誓得花一千萬美金 在海岸清潔上。

The sculpture park in Grenada was instrumental

格林那答的雕塑公園

in the government designating a spot -- a marine-protected area.

政府起了很大的作用， 指定這地方為一個水底保護區景點

Entrance fees to the park now help fund park rangers

現在公園門票費可以 資助公園管委會

to manage tourism and fishing quotas.

管理旅客及釣魚配額。

The site was actually listed as a "Wonder of the World"

此景點實際上已被 國家地理頻道列為世界奇觀

by National Geographic.

So why are we all here today in this room?

那麼我們今日齊聚在此的原因是甚麼 ?

What do we all have in common?

我們有甚麼共通點 ?

I think we all share a fear

我認為我們共同在承擔一種恐懼

that we don't protect our oceans enough.

就是我們對我們 的海洋保護仍不足。

And one way of thinking about this

而這其中一個原因是

is that we don't regard our oceans as sacred,

我們不認為我們的海洋是神聖的，

and we should.

但我們必須。

When we see incredible places --

當我們看到美到不行的地方

like the Himalayas or the La Sagrada Família,

像是喜馬拉雅山或聖家堂，

or the Mona Lisa, even --

或甚至是蒙娜麗莎--

when we see these incredible places and things,

當我們看到這些美到不行的地方或東西，

we understand their importance.

我們明白它們的重要性，

We call them sacred,

我們會說它們是神聖的，

and we do our best to cherish them, to protect them

我們會竭盡所能的珍習它們保護它們

and to keep them safe.

並維護它們的安全。

But in order to do that,

但為了這麼做，

we are the ones that have to assign that value;

我們就是那些 必須確保它們的價值的人 ;

otherwise, it will be desecrated

否則，它將會因為

by someone who doesn't understand that value.

不懂它們價值的人而變得不神聖。

So I want to finish up tonight by talking about sacred things.

所以我想談談神聖的事物 來結束今晚的演講。

When we were naming the site in Cancun,

當我們在為坎昆景點命名時，

we named it a museum for a very important and simple reason:

我們會稱它為博物館 有一個非常重要而單純的原因 :

museums are places of preservation,

博物館是一個保存，保護及教育的地方，

of conservation and of education.

They're places where we keep objects of great value to us,

博物館是我們維護 有極大價值物品的地方，

where we simply treasure them for them being themselves.

在這裡，我們因它們本身的價值 而單純地珍惜他們。

If someone was to throw an egg at the Sistine Chapel,

如果有人扔一個雞蛋在西斯廷教堂，

we'd all go crazy.

我們都會抓狂。

If someone wanted to build a seven-star hotel

如果有人要在大峽谷的底部

at the bottom of the Grand Canyon,

蓋七星級的旅館，

then we would laugh them out of Arizona.

那麼我們嘲笑 並強迫他們離開亞利桑那州。

Yet every day we dredge, pollute and overfish our oceans.

然而，我們每天採挖、污染 和過度捕撈我們的海洋。

And I think it's easier for us to do that,

我認為我們很容易可以做到這一點，

because when we see the ocean,

因為當我們看到海洋時，

we don't see the havoc we're wreaking.

我們看不到我們正在大肆破壞它。

Because for most people,

因為大部分的人，

the ocean is like this.

看到的海洋是如此......

And it's really hard

且很難想像

to think of something that's just so plain and so enormous, as fragile.

平靜巨大的海洋 竟是如此的弱不禁風。

It's simply too massive, too vast, too endless.

海洋是如此的龐大、廣闊、無邊際。

但你在此看到甚麼？

And what do you see here?

I think most people actually look past to the horizon.

我認為大多數人對海洋 實際上仍停留在過去的印象。

So I think there's a real danger

所以我認為真正的危機就是

that we never really see the sea,

我們從未真正的了解海洋，

and if we don't really see it,

而如果我們不真的了解它，

if it doesn't have its own iconography,

如果它沒有了獨自的精神象徵，

if we miss its majesty,

如果我們錯過對它的尊重，

then there's a big danger that we take it for granted.

之後我們理所當然的 會有大危機。

Cancun is famous for spring break,

坎昆是著名的春假地點、

龍舌​​蘭酒和泡沫派對的旅遊勝地。

tequila and foam parties.

And its waters are where frat boys can ride around on Jet Skis

那邊的水可以讓大學聯誼會男生

and banana boats.

在附近騁馳水上摩托車及香蕉船。

But because of our work there, there's now a little corner of Cancun

但因為我們的作品在那邊， 坎昆那裏現在有一個小角落，

that is simply precious for being itself.

那簡直是太珍貴了。

我們不想只停留在格林納達、

And we don't want to stop in Grenada,

in Cancun or the Bahamas.

坎昆或巴哈馬群島。

Just last month, I installed these Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

就在上個月，我在泰晤士河畔 安置了「末世四騎士」。

in the Thames River,

就在倫敦市中心 國會大廈的前面

in central London, right in front of the Houses of Parliament,

putting a stark message about climate change

把一個氣候變化鮮明的訊息

in front of the people that have the power to help change things.

放在人們面前， 來幫助改變獲得動力

因為對我而言， 這個使命僅僅是剛開始而已。

Because for me, this is just the beginning of the mission.

We want to team up with other inventors,

我們必須與其他發明家、

creators, philanthropists, educators, biologists,

創作家、慈善家、教育工作者、 生物學家一起合作，

to see better futures for our oceans.

讓我們可以看到海洋更美好的未來。

And we want to see beyond sculpture,

而我們甚至也想看到

beyond art, even.

人們在雕塑與藝術背後 獲得真正的啟發。

Say you're a 14-year-old kid from the city,

假設你現在是個14歲的都市小孩，

and you've never seen the ocean.

而你從未見過海洋。

And instead of getting taken to the natural history museum

而僅是去過自然歷史博物館

or an aquarium,

或一個水族館，

you get taken out to the ocean,

你被帶到海裡

to an underwater Noah's Ark,

來到一個水下的諾亞方舟，

which you can access through a dry-glass viewing tunnel,

透過水底的透視玻璃隧道，

where you can see all the wildlife of the land

你看到了那裏生長了

be colonized by the wildlife of the ocean.

世上所有的海洋野生動物。

Clearly, it would blow your mind.

顯然地，這會讓你永生難忘。

So let's think big and let's think deep.

所以讓我們深思熟慮一下。

Who knows where our imagination and willpower can lead us?

誰曉得我們的想像力及 意志力會帶領我們到哪裡 ?

I hope that by bringing our art into the ocean,

我希望藉著把我們的藝術 帶入海洋的同時，

that not only do we take advantage of amazing creativity

我們不僅從神奇的創作得到益處及

and visual impact of the setting,

步置的視覺享受，

but that we are also giving something back,

我們也能取回一些東西，

and by encouraging new environments to thrive,

藉由鼓勵新環境的復甦，

and in some way opening up a new -- or maybe it's a really old way

並以某種開創式新的-- 或只是一個非常古老的方法

of seeing the seas:

來了解海洋是個 :

as delicate, precious places,

精緻、珍貴

值得我們保護的地方。

worthy of our protection.

Our oceans are sacred.

我們的海洋是神聖的，

Thank you.

謝謝各位。

(Applause)

( 掌聲 )