Theaster Gates: How to revive a neighborhood: with imagination, beauty and art

譯者: Wink Wong 審譯者: Coco Shen

I'm a potter,

我是陶藝家，

which seems like a fairly humble vocation.

這是一個感覺相當平凡的職業。

I know a lot about pots.

關於陶器我懂很多，

I've spent about 15 years making them.

我從事陶器製作已經有15年了。

One of the things that really excites me in my artistic practice

我在陶藝訓練成為陶藝家其間，

and being trained as a potter

一樣最讓我感到興奮的

is that you very quickly learn how to make great things out of nothing;

便是很快學會怎樣把平庸的材質 製作成精美的藝術品；

that I spent a lot of time at my wheel with mounds of clay trying stuff;

我在陶輪前花很多時間， 用陶土做各種嘗試；

and that the limitations of my capacity, my ability,

限制我的能力和水準的

was based on my hands and my imagination;

是我的雙手和想像力；

that if I wanted to make a really nice bowl

如果我想做一隻非常精美的碗

and I didn't know how to make a foot yet,

但是卻不知道怎樣塑造碗底

I would have to learn how to make a foot;

那我就不得不去學習碗底的製作；

that that process of learning has been very, very helpful to my life.

這樣的學習過程對我 的生活非常有幫助。

I feel like, as a potter,

我覺得，作爲陶器藝人，

you also start to learn how to shape the world.

你也需要開始學著去塑造世界。

There have been times in my artistic capacity

藝術工作的過程中有許多時候，

that I wanted to reflect

讓我想要表達出

on other really important moments

一些非常重要的歷史時刻

in the history of the U.S., the history of the world

那些在美國歷史或是世界歷史中

where tough things happened,

很艱苦的時刻，

but how do you talk about tough ideas

可又該怎樣討論這些困難的話題

without separating people from that content?

卻不脫離當事的人們呢？

Could I use art like these old, discontinued firehoses from Alabama,

我能借用藝術作品，例如這些 來自阿拉巴馬州的廢舊消防水龍

to talk about the complexities of a moment of civil rights in the '60s?

來呈現那些60年代民權 複雜的情況嗎？

Is it possible to talk about my father and I doing labor projects?

我能否講述父親和我的勞工成績？

My dad was a roofer, construction guy, he owned small businesses,

我父親是屋頂技工，建築工人， 同時還做著小生意。

and at 80, he was ready to retire and his tar kettle was my inheritance.

他留給我的遺產是 一個瀝青爐。

Now, a tar kettle doesn't sound like much of an inheritance. It wasn't.

瀝青爐聽起來算不上是什麽遺產呀。 沒錯，的確不是。

It was stinky and it took up a lot of space in my studio,

這東西味道挺大， 還佔掉我工作室許多空間，

but I asked my dad if he would be willing to make some art with me,

但我問父親他是否願意 和我一起從事藝術創作，

if we could reimagine this kind of nothing material

重塑平庸的材料

as something very special.

把它變成特別的作品。

And by elevating the material and my dad's skill,

憑藉父親的技術，和把材料升級，

could we start to think about tar just like clay, in a new way,

我們能否用新的方式， 把瀝青當作陶土，

shaping it differently, helping us to imagine what was possible?

用不同的方式塑造它， 幫我們構想可以製造什麼出來呢？

After clay, I was then kind of turned on to lots of different kinds of materials,

用了陶土後，我開始對許多 不同種類的材料感興趣。

and my studio grew a lot because I thought, well,

我的工作室也擴大許多， 因為我想

it's not really about the material, it's about our capacity to shape things.

其實關鍵不在於材料， 而是我們塑造事物的能力。

I became more and more interested in ideas

我對創意越來越有興趣。

and more and more things that were happening just outside my studio.

那時在我的工作室外 也有許多事情在發生。

Just to give you a little bit of context, I live in Chicago.

先讓各位了解一下背景， 我住在芝加哥。

I live on the South Side now. I'm a West Sider.

我現在住在南邊， 我是西邊的人。

For those of you who are not Chicagoans, that won't mean anything,

若你們不是芝加哥人， 就不會知道其中的意義。

but if I didn't mention that I was a West Sider,

但是如果我不說我是西邊人，

there would be a lot of people in the city that would be very upset.

那裡市區的許多人 可能會很不高興。

The neighborhood that I live in is Grand Crossing.

我住的區域是「格蘭區」。

It's a neighborhood that has seen better days.

那是一個美景不再的區域。

It is not a gated community by far.

它不是什麼富裕的社區。

我們附近有許多廢棄的建築，

There is lots of abandonment in my neighborhood,

and while I was kind of busy making pots and busy making art

當我忙著製作器皿和創造藝術品，

我的藝術生涯正在蓬勃發展，

and having a good art career,

就在我的工作室外，

there was all of this stuff that was happening

just outside my studio.

All of us know about failing housing markets

我們都知道房地產市場低迷

and the challenges of blight,

以及衰落所帶給它的挑戰，

and I feel like we talk about it with some of our cities more than others,

我覺得我們只管談論一些城市 而不太理會其他城市，

but I think a lot of our U.S. cities and beyond

但我想還有很多很多美國的城市

have the challenge of blight,

都有這種衰退的難題。

abandoned buildings that people no longer know what to do anything with.

大家不知道該如何 處理廢棄的建築，

And so I thought, is there a way that I could start to think

所以我就想，我是否可以想辦法

about these buildings as an extension or an expansion of my artistic practice?

把這些建築變成我的 藝術領域的延伸？

And that if I was thinking along with other creatives --

我想與其他有創意的人， 一起集思廣益 --

architects, engineers, real estate finance people --

像是建築師，工程師， 房地產金融家 --

that us together might be able to kind of think

我們一起可能想出

in more complicated ways about the reshaping of cities.

精妙的辦法去重塑這些城市。

And so I bought a building.

所以我買下了一座建築物。

The building was really affordable.

這座建築很便宜。

We tricked it out.

我們把它好好地打扮了一番。

We made it as beautiful as we could to try to just get some activity happening

我們想了些辦法， 把它修繕地美輪美奐，

來吸引周邊街區的活動。

on my block.

Once I bought the building for about 18,000 dollars,

我花了大約一萬八千元 買了這座建築物，

I didn't have any money left.

口袋裏一分錢都不剩。

So I started sweeping the building as a kind of performance.

所以我開始打掃這個建築， 當做是一種表演。

This is performance art, and people would come over,

那是表演藝術， 等人來了之後，

and I would start sweeping.

我就開始掃。

Because the broom was free and sweeping was free.

因為掃把是免費的， 掃地也是。

It worked out.

它奏效了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But we would use the building, then, to stage exhibitions, small dinners,

那時我們用這個地方做展示場， 小型餐會，

and we found that that building on my block, Dorchester --

我們發現我們附近的朵徹斯特 （Dorchester）建築 －－

we now referred to the block as Dorchester projects --

我們現在稱這條街區為 朵徹斯特計劃 －－

that in a way that building became a kind of gathering site

這座建築成為了大家聚會的地方，

for lots of different kinds of activity.

那裡有許多不同種類的活動。

We turned the building into what we called now the Archive House.

我們將那建築變成我們現在稱為 「檔案樓」的地方。

The Archive House would do all of these amazing things.

「檔案樓」可以舉辦許多令人驚嘆的事情。

Very significant people in the city and beyond

城中無數的達官貴人，

would find themselves in the middle of the hood.

會來到這裏。

那時，我覺得

And that's when I felt like

或許我做陶藝的經歷

maybe there was a relationship between my history with clay

and this new thing that was starting to develop,

和這裏所發生的變化有關聯

that we were slowly starting

這種新變化慢慢地開始重塑

to reshape how people imagined the South Side of the city.

人們對芝加哥南區的印象。

One house turned into a few houses,

從一間房子到許多間房子，

and we always tried to suggest

我們一直認爲，

that not only is creating a beautiful vessel important,

創造一個美麗的外表重要，

but the contents of what happens in those buildings is also very important.

但是在這些建築的內涵 也非常重要。

So we were not only thinking about development,

所以我們不是只着眼於發展，

but we were thinking about the program,

而且同時也想制定計劃，

thinking about the kind of connections that could happen

想有那些連繫可能發生於

between one house and another, between one neighbor and another.

一個房子跟著另一個房子之間， 或鄰里互相之間

這個建物我們後來稱 它為「聆聽屋」，

This building became what we call the Listening House,

and it has a collection of discarded books

它收藏了一批強生印刷公司

from the Johnson Publishing Corporation,

丟棄的書本，

and other books from an old bookstore that was going out of business.

以及其他從一個 倒閉的老書店的書。

I was actually just wanting to activate these buildings as much as I could

我其實就是要讓這些建築 盡可能活動起來。

with whatever and whoever would join me.

以任何方式與任何願意參與的人。

In Chicago, there's amazing building stock.

芝加哥有一座令人驚奇的建築物。

This building, which had been the former crack house on the block,

這個建築以前是這附近的吸毒屋，

and when the building became abandoned,

當這個建築物被棄置後，

it became a great opportunity to really imagine what else could happen there.

它做就了一個好機會讓人猜想 有什麼別的可以在那裡發生。

So this space we converted into what we call Black Cinema House.

我們於是把這個地方變成 今日所謂的「黑色電影屋」。

Black Cinema House was an opportunity in the hood to screen films

「黑色電影屋」讓這隣近地方可以放映電影，

that were important and relevant to the folk who lived around me,

對於住在我附近的人 很重要和有意義。

that if we wanted to show an old Melvin Van Peebles film, we could.

如果我們想放映一部 梅爾文·凡·皮布爾斯的老片，我們就放。

If we wanted to show "Car Wash," we could.

如果我們想放映「洗車場」， 我們就放映。

That would be awesome.

那多棒。

The building we soon outgrew,

那座建築很快就不夠用了，

and we had to move to a larger space.

我們只有搬到另一處更大的。

Black Cinema House, which was made from just a small piece of clay,

黑色電影屋本來 只是一小塊陶土做的，

had to grow into a much larger piece of clay, which is now my studio.

成為一個很大塊陶土， 就是我現在的工作室。

What I realized was that for those of you who are zoning junkies,

我發現你們那些分區狂，

that some of the things that I was doing

我所做的一些事

in these buildings that had been left behind,

在那些被遺忘的建築裡，

they were not the uses by which the buildings were built,

不是以原來建築的使用目的 而使用，

and that there are city policies that say,

有城市法規說，

"Hey, a house that is residential needs to stay residential."

「設定為住宅地建築物只能 住宅使用」。

But what do you do in neighborhoods when ain't nobody interested in living there?

但是如果沒有人有興趣住在那裡的話， 那些建築怎麼辦呢？

That the people who have the means to leave have already left?

有能力搬走的已經搬走了。

What do we do with these abandoned buildings?

我們如何處理這些 被遺棄的建築物呢？

And so I was trying to wake them up using culture.

所以我嘗試以文化來喚醒它們。

We found that that was so exciting for folk,

我們發現大家都很興奮，

and people were so responsive to the work, that we had to then find bigger buildings.

許多人積極參與我們的活動， 以致於我們必須找更大的建築物。

By the time we found bigger buildings,

等到我們找到了更大的建物，

there was, in part, the resources necessary to think about those things.

那裡就會有我們必須 思考的必要資源

In this bank that we called the Arts Bank, it was in pretty bad shape.

我們稱為「藝術銀行」的狀況 曾經很不好，

There was about six feet of standing water.

那裡之前有六呎深的積水。

It was a difficult project to finance,

那是一個很難獲得資釒的案子，

because banks weren't interested in the neighborhood

因為銀行對這個地區沒有興趣。

because people weren't interested in the neighborhood

因為人們對這個地區沒有興趣

because nothing had happened there.

因為那裏沒有任何動靜。

It was dirt. It was nothing. It was nowhere.

只有灰塵，沒有其他， 什麼都沒有。

And so we just started imagining, what else could happen in this building?

所以我們開始想像， 在這個建物可以做什麼？

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And so now that the rumor of my block has spread,

那時有關這個地方的謠言傳出來，

and lots of people are starting to visit,

許多人開始來參觀，

we've found that the bank can now be a center

我們發現這個"銀行"已成為一個

for exhibition, archives, music performance,

展覽場地、資料館和音樂廳，

and that there are people who are now interested

有一些人開始對

in being adjacent to those buildings because we brought some heat,

這些建築物的附近地方有興趣。

that we kind of made a fire.

因為我們帶來了熱潮， 好像起了一把火。

One of the archives that we'll have there is this Johnson Publishing Corporation.

我們將在那裡設立 強森出版公司的資料庫，

We've also started to collect memorabilia from American history,

也開始收集美國歷史的大事紀，

from people who live or have lived in that neighborhood.

從那些住在或曾住在 那裡的人們收集。

Some of these images are degraded images of black people,

這裡有些貶低黑人的圖像,

kind of histories of very challenging content,

有點令人質疑的歷史內容，

and where better than a neighborhood

那裡會找到比這附近地區更適合。

with young people who are constantly asking themselves about their identity

那裡的年輕人不停的在 找尋自己的身分認同，

to talk about some of the complexities

年輕人討論種族和階級

of race and class?

的各種複雜問題呢？

In some ways, the bank represents a hub,

從某些方面，"銀行"代表了一個樞紐。

that we're trying to create a pretty hardcore node of cultural activity,

我們嘗試去創造一個文化活動的核心，

and that if we could start to make multiple hubs

如果我們可以開始 創造了幾個中心。

and connect some cool green stuff around there,

同時也在周圍種些 花草連接各中心，

that the buildings that we've purchased and rehabbed,

我們購買和重建的建築物，

which is now around 60 or 70 units,

現已有大約60到70個單位，

that if we could land miniature Versailles on top of that,

如果我們可以在其上再加上 如同迷你凡爾賽宮的設計，

and connect these buildings by a beautiful greenbelt --

將這些建物以綠地連接起來 －－

(Applause) --

（掌聲）－－

that this place where people never wanted to be

這些原來人們不願意來的地方，

would become an important destination

會成為變成一個來自全國以至世界各地的人 到訪的一個重要目的地。

for folk from all over the country and world.

從某些方面，我很像是 一個陶藝家，

In some ways, it feels very much like I'm a potter,

that we tackle the things that are at our wheel,

我們在輪子上想辦法處理東西，

we try with the skill that we have

我們使用已有技能

to think about this next bowl that I want to make.

思考著怎樣創作下一個器皿。

And it went from a bowl to a singular house to a block to a neighborhood

從一個器皿到一個房屋，一個小區， 一個大區，

to a cultural district to thinking about the city,

到一個文化區，以致一個城市，

and at every point, there were things that I didn't know that I had to learn.

在每一點，都有一些我不懂的事 我必須學。

I've never learned so much about zoning law in my life.

我一輩子沒有學過那麼多的 有關區劃的法規。

I never thought I'd have to.

我從沒想過我會學那些。

But as a result of that, I'm finding that there's not just room

但是結果我發現那裡不僅是

for my own artistic practice,

我自己的藝術實踐的空間，

there's room for a lot of other artistic practices.

還有許多其他藝術實踐的空間。

So people started asking us,

有些人開始問我們，

"Well, Theaster, how are you going to go to scale?"

「提也斯特，你要如何 擴大規模？」

and, "What's your sustainability plan?"

以及，「你有永續經營的計劃嗎？」

(Laughter) (Applause)

（笑聲）（掌聲）

And what I found was that I couldn't export myself,

我發現我無法外銷自己，

that what seems necessary in cities like Akron, Ohio,

如俄亥俄州阿克倫市的城市，

and Detroit, Michigan, and Gary, Indiana,

以及密西根州的底特律， 和印第安納州的蓋里市

is that there are people in those places who already believe in those places,

那裡需要對當地有信心的本地人，

that are already dying to make those places beautiful,

在那些面臨死亡的地區， 讓它們再度美麗，

and that often, those people who are passionate about a place

那些對當地很有熱情的人，

are disconnected from the resources necessary to make cool things happen,

往往沒有足夠的資源 來做那些很酷的事，

or disconnected from a contingency of people

或者他們沒有人脈

that could help make things happen.

來幫忙做那些事。

So now, we're starting to give advice around the country

所以現在，我們開始提供全國性

on how to start with what you got,

關於如何從你的現況 著手的諮詢服務，

how to start with the things that are in front of you,

如何從你當前的狀況開始，

how to make something out of nothing,

如何從無到有，

how to reshape your world at a wheel or at your block

如何從一個輪子上 或者你的鄰里，

or at the scale of the city.

或者是你的城市來重塑你的世界。

Thank you so much.

謝謝！

(Applause)

（掌聲）

June Cohen: Thank you. So I think many people watching this

June Cohen：謝謝你。 我想許多看這個影片的人，

will be asking themselves the question you just raised at the end:

會問他們自己你剛剛在 結尾提到的問題：

How can they do this in their own city?

他們如何在自己的城市 做同樣事情呢？

You can't export yourself.

你無法外銷你自己。

Give us a few pages out of your playbook about what someone who is inspired

請你提供你的劇本中的幾頁給 那些被你啟發的人，

about their city can do to take on projects like yours?

教他們如何在他們的城市 做那些你做過的。

Theaster Gates: One of the things I've found that's really important

Theaster Gates:我發現一個很重要的事情

is giving thought to not just the kind of individual project,

就是不要只是思考單獨的案子，

like an old house,

例如一間老屋，

but what's the relationship between an old house,

而是思考老屋和

a local school, a small bodega,

當地學校，以及小酒窖 之間的關係，

and is there some kind of synergy between those things?

想想這些地方之間是否有某種共同作用？

Can you get those folk talking?

你是否可以讓他們彼此對話？

I've found that in cases where neighborhoods have failed,

我發現在已廢棄的社區

they still often have a pulse.

通常仍然有氣息。

How do you identify the pulse in that place, the passionate people,

熱情的人們， 你如何得知那個地方的氣息，

and then how do you get folk who have been fighting,

而且你如何讓那些二十年來 一直在努力

slogging for 20 years, reenergized about the place that they live?

奮鬥的人們對於他們所居住的地方 再度充滿活力？

And so someone has to do that work.

必須有人要做這些工作。

If I were a traditional developer, I would be talking about buildings alone,

如果我們傳統的地產商人， 我就只會考慮建築物本身，

and then putting a "For Lease" sign in the window.

然後將「出租」的牌子掛在窗戶上。

I think that you actually have to curate more than that,

我認為你必須比那個 要策劃得更多，

that there's a way in which you have to be mindful about,

你必須專心地思考

what are the businesses that I want to grow here?

我要在這裏開展的生意是什麼？

And then, are there people who live in this place

然後，有沒有住在此地的居民

who want to grow those businesses with me?

願意和我一起發展這些生意？

Because I think it's not just a cultural space or housing;

因為我認為它不會只是 一個文化空間或只是住宅；

there has to be the recreation of an economic core.

而是一定要有重新創造的經濟核心。

So thinking about those things together feels right.

所以應該將這些一起考慮才對。

JC: It's hard to get people to create the spark again

JC: 要讓人們再創造火花不容易

when people have been slogging for 20 years.

當他們已經辛苦了二十年。

Are there any methods you've found that have helped break through?

你有沒有發現其他 可以幫助突破的方法？

TG: Yeah, I think that now there are lots of examples

TG： 是的，我想有很多例子證明

of folk who are doing amazing work,

已經有人正在做那些驚人的工作，

but those methods are sometimes like, when the media is constantly saying

但是這些方法有時候， 經媒體一直報導

that only violent things happen in a place,

那裡只有發生暴力事件，

then based on your skill set and the particular context,

以你的能力以及那裡的特殊情況，

what are the things that you can do in your neighborhood

在你的小區，你可以怎樣

to kind of fight some of that?

對抗那些負面的報導呢？

So I've found that if you're a theater person,

我發現如果你是 一個從事劇場的人，

you have outdoor street theater festivals.

你可以辦戶外的街頭劇場節，

In some cases, we don't have the resources in certain neighborhoods

在有些地方，我們沒有資源

to do things that are a certain kind of splashy,

來舉辦引人注意的活動，

but if we can then find ways of making sure that people

但是如果我們可以找方法來確保

who are local to a place,

當地的人

plus people who could be supportive of the things that are happening locally,

以及那些會支持當地的活動的人，

when those people get together,

當這些人同心合力，

I think really amazing things can happen.

我認為真正很神奇的事情 將會發生。

JC: So interesting.

JC： 很有趣。

And how can you make sure that the projects you're creating

那你如何確定你的計劃

are actually for the disadvantaged

真正幫到弱勢人群

and not just for the sort of vegetarian indie movie crowd

而不是為了其他素食獨立電影人

that might move in to take advantage of them.

為了利用弱勢者才搬進來。

TG: Right on. So I think this is where it starts to get into the thick weeds.

TG： 問得好。 我想這就是我們 開始要傷腦筋的地方。

JC: Let's go there. TG: Right now, Grand Crossing

JC：我們談談那個吧！ TG：現在，在格蘭區

is 99 percent black, or at least living,

有百分之99是黑人， 至少是住那裡，

and we know that maybe who owns property in a place

我們知道那裏的業主

is different from who walks the streets every day.

或許不是每天在街上走動的人們。

So it's reasonable to say that Grand Crossing is already

所以可以說「格蘭區」已經

in the process of being something different than it is today.

開始演變成跟現在不同的地方。

But are there ways to think about housing trusts or land trusts

但是也可以想想屋宇信託或 土地信託

or a mission-based development

或使命為本發展計劃

that starts to protect some of the space that happens,

來保障這裡已經改造的地方，

because when you have 7,500 empty lots in a city,

因為當你的城市有7500個空地，

you want something to happen there,

你想在那𥚃有些作為，

but you need entities that are not just interested in the development piece,

不僅需要找那些對 地產有興趣的對象，

but entities that are interested in the stabilization piece,

還要找對安撫人心有興趣的人仕

and I feel like often the developer piece is really motivated,

我覺得通常地產項目很易實行，

but the other work of a kind of neighborhood consciousness,

反而其他鄰里的觀念的發展

that part doesn't live anymore.

卻不見了。

So how do you start to grow up important watchdogs

所以你如何訓練重要的監督

that ensure that the resources that are made available

來確保新來的朋友

to new folk that are coming in

得到有效的人力物力。

are also distributed to folk who have lived in a place for a long time.

同時也分配給這裡長住的居民。

JC: That makes so much sense. One more question:

JC: 非常有道理。最後一條問題：

You make such a compelling case for beauty and the importance of beauty and the arts.

你講了那些有關美的例子， 令人注目，還強調美的重要。

可是其他人會質疑那些基金

There would be others who would argue that funds would be better spent

on basic services for the disadvantaged.

何不好好花在弱勢社群 的基本服務。

How do you combat that viewpoint, or come against it?

你如何對付或反抗這種觀點？

TG: I believe that beauty is a basic service.

TG： 我相信美是基本的服務。

(Applause)

（鼓掌聲）

我常常發現有些資源

Often what I have found is that when there are resources

that have not been made available to certain under-resourced cities

沒有用在一些缺乏資源的城市

or neighborhoods or communities,

或鄰里或社區時，

that sometimes culture is the thing that helps to ignite,

有時候，文化正是 幫助點燃的東西，

and that I can't do everything,

而且我也無法面面俱到，

but I think that there's a way in which if you can start with culture

但我想你找方法從文化開始

and get people kind of reinvested in their place,

讓人們再度在 自己的地方投資，

other kinds of adjacent amenities start to grow,

其他種類的設施也會在隣近多起來，

and then people can make a demand that's a poetic demand,

然後人們可以做一個詩意的要求，

and the political demands that are necessary to wake up our cities,

以及政治要求來喚醒我們的城市，

they also become very poetic.

這些城市也會變成很詩意的。

JC: It makes perfect sense to me.

Jc： 我覺得很有意思。

Theaster, thank you so much for being here with us today.

Theaster，很多謝 你今日跟大家分享。

多謝，Theaster Gates。

Thank you. Theaster Gates.

（掌聲）

(Applause)