Making art of New York's urban ruins | Miru Kim

譯者: Tammy Wu 審譯者: Chun-wen Chen

I was raised in Seoul, Korea,

我成長於韓國首爾

and moved to New York City in 1999 to attend college.

於1999年搬到紐約市，進入大學就讀

I was pre-med at the time,

當時，我是醫學院預科學生

and I thought I would become a surgeon

我認為我會成為一位外科醫師

because I was interested in anatomy

因為我對解剖很有興趣

and dissecting animals really piqued my curiosity.

解剖動物真的激發起我的好奇心

At the same time, I fell in love with New York City.

同時，我愛上了紐約市

I started to realize that I could look at the whole city

我開始了解到我可以以一個活生生的有機體

as a living organism.

來解讀這個城市

I wanted to dissect it

我想要解剖她

and look into its unseen layers.

研究那些不被看見的層次

And the way to it, for me,

對我來說，切入的方法

was through artistic means.

是透過藝術的手法

So, eventually I decided to pursue an MFA instead of an M.D.

所以，我最終沒有投身醫學，而決定申請藝術碩士學位

and in grad school I became interested

唸研究所的時候，我開始對於

in creatures that dwell in the hidden corners of the city.

居住於都市隠藏角落的生物有興趣

In New York City, rats are part of commuters' daily lives.

在紐約市，老鼠，是通勤者毎日生活中的一員

Most people ignore them or are frightened of them.

大部分的人忽略牠們，或著是畏懼著牠們

But I took a liking to them

而我卻喜歡上牠們

because they dwell on the fringes of society.

因為他們居住在社會的邊緣

And even though they're used in labs to promote human lives,

即使在實驗室裡，牠們被用於改善人類的生活

they're also considered pests.

牠們也同時被人厭惡

I also started looking around in the city

我也開始在城市裡漫遊

and trying to photograph them.

常試著捕捉牠們的影像

One day, in the subway, I was snapping pictures of the tracks

有一天，我在地鐵站，隨意地照著鐵軌

hoping to catch a rat or two,

希望能捕捉到一兩隻老鼠的蹤影

and a man came up to me and said,

然後，一位男子走向我並對我說，

"You can't take photographs here.

你不能在這裡照相

The MTA will confiscate your camera."

否則紐約大都會運輸局會沒收你的相機

I was quite shocked by that,

這樣的對話令我非常訝異

and thought to myself, "Well, OK then.

然後我告訴我自己，"好吧

I'll follow the rats."

那我就來跟蹤牠們"

Then I started going into the tunnels,

接著，我就開始在隧道裡遊走

which made me realize that there's a whole new dimension to the city

這樣的經驗讓我體驗到我不曾看過的，

that I never saw before and most people don't get to see.

大部分的人沒有機會看到的一個全新的城市向度

Around the same time, I met like-minded individuals

同時，我遇到了一些志同道合的人

who call themselves urban explorers, adventurers, spelunkers,

他們自稱為都市探索者，探險者，探勘者

guerrilla historians, etc.

游擊式的歷史學家，諸如此類

I was welcomed into this loose, Internet-based network

我加入了這個定期在都市廢墟探索

of people who regularly explore urban ruins

以網路為基礎的隨性組織

such as abandoned subway stations,

像是被遺棄的的地鐵站

tunnels, sewers, aqueducts,

隧道，下水道，溝渠

factories, hospitals, shipyards and so on.

工廠，醫院，船場等等，都是我們探索的場所

When I took photographs in these locations,

當我在這些地方攝影

I felt there was something missing in the pictures.

我覺得這些照片缺少了某種東西

Simply documenting these soon-to-be-demolished structures

單單紀錄這些即將被拆除的構造

wasn't enough for me.

對我來說並不足夠

So I wanted to create a fictional character

因此，我想創造一個虛構的人物

or an animal that dwells in these underground spaces,

或者是某種動物，居住在這些地底下的空間

and the simplest way to do it, at the time,

而在當時，最簡單的做法

was to model myself.

是以我自己為模特兒

I decided against clothing

我決定去除衣服這項元素

because I wanted the figure to be without any cultural implications

因為我希望這個人物在文化上沒有寓意

or time-specific elements.

或著是說沒有描述某個特定時代的物件

I wanted a simple way to represent a living body

我想要用一種簡單的方法重現一個生命

inhabiting these decaying, derelict spaces.

居住在這些衰退,廢棄的空間

This was taken in the Riviera Sugar Factory in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

這張照片是攝於布魯克林紅鉤區的里維耶拉製糖工廠

It's now an empty, six-acre lot

現在是一個六英畝大的空地

waiting for a shopping mall right across from the new Ikea.

正等著興建購物商場，對街是剛蓋好的宜家家具賣場

I was very fond of this space

我非常喜歡這個空間

because it's the first massive industrial complex I found on my own

因為這是第一個由我自己發現的

that is abandoned.

廢棄的大型工業複合構造

When I first went in, I was scared,

我第一次踏進這個地方時，我蠻害怕的

because I heard dogs barking and I thought they were guard dogs.

因為我聽到狗叫聲，我以為牠們是警犬

But they happened to be wild dogs living there,

但牠們只是居住在那裡的野狗

and it was right by the water,

這片地就在河的旁邊

so there were swans and ducks swimming around

所以這裡有天鵝和鴨子游來游去

and trees growing everywhere

而且樹木叢生

and bees nesting in the sugar barrels.

蜜蜂們在製糖木桶裡築巢

The nature had really reclaimed the whole complex.

大自然徹底的淨化了這整片地

And, in a way, I wanted the human figure in the picture

某種程度上，我想放置一個人物到這個畫面中

to become a part of that nature.

成為大自然的一部分

When I got comfortable in the space,

當我在這個空間感到自在的時後

it also felt like a big playground.

它讓我覺得像是一個巨大的遊樂場

I would climb up the tanks and hop across exposed beams

我會爬上儲水池,然後再跳過那些裸露出來的樑

as if I went back in time and became a child again.

彷彿我回到過去，再次變成了一個孩子

This was taken in the old Croton Aqueduct,

這是攝於舊的克頓水道

which supplied fresh water to New York City for the first time.

它曾經首度運輸乾淨的水源到紐約市

The construction began in 1837.

這項工程始於1837年

It lasted about five years.

為時五年

It got abandoned when the new Croton Aqueducts opened in 1890.

1890年，當新的克頓水道開始使用，它便被閒置了

When you go into spaces like this,

當你進入到這樣的空間

you're directly accessing the past,

你直接的進入了過去的時空

because they sit untouched for decades.

因為它們就這樣數十年未被人們碰觸

I love feeling the aura of a space that has so much history.

我喜歡感受這個空間滿溢著歷史的氣味

Instead of looking at reproductions of it at home,

不是在家裡看著這個空間的複製品

you're actually feeling the hand-laid bricks

你是真實地感受這些曾被親手鋪置的磚

and shimmying up and down narrow cracks

在窄小的裂縫中跳動搖擺著

and getting wet and muddy

然後弄得滿身是水和泥巴

and walking in a dark tunnel with a flashlight.

拿著手電筒，在黑暗的隧道裡行走

This is a tunnel underneath Riverside Park.

這個隧道處於河岸公園的下方

It was built in the 1930s by Robert Moses.

於1930年間，由羅伯特摩西所建造

The murals were done by a graffiti artist

這些壁畫是出自於一個塗鴉畫家之手

to commemorate the hundreds of homeless people

為了紀念那些數以百計的流浪漢

that got relocated from the tunnel in 1991

他們在1991年被遷移到別處

when the tunnel reopened for trains.

當這個隧道被重新使用為火車站

Walking in this tunnel is very peaceful.

在這個隧道裡行走讓我感到非常平靜

There's nobody around you,

因為你的四週沒有人

and you hear the kids playing in the park above you,

你可以聽到孩童在你上方的公園玩耍

completely unaware of what's underneath.

卻完全對他們腳底下的空間一無所知

When I was going out a lot to these places,

隨著我踏進這些地方的頻率提高

I was feeling a lot of anxiety and isolation

我感到非常焦慮和孤立

because I was in a solitary phase in my life,

因為我正經歷著我生命中的一段孤獨期

and I decided to title my series "Naked City Spleen,"

所以決定把這個系列取名為"裸體城市的憂鬱"

which references Charles Baudelaire.

此名來自波特萊爾

"Naked City" is a nickname for New York,

"裸體城市"是紐約的小名

and "Spleen" embodies the melancholia and inertia

而"憂鬱"包含著抑鬱和惰性的意思

that come from feeling alienated in an urban environment.

那是來自於一種在都市環境中被疏離的感覺

This is the same tunnel.

這是攝於同一個隧道

You see the sunbeams coming from the ventilation ducts

你看到的是來自通風管的光束

and the train approaching.

而火車正漸漸駛近

This is a tunnel that's abandoned in Hell's Kitchen.

這個廢棄的隧道位於紐約地獄廚房區

I was there alone, setting up,

當我獨自一人的架設儀器

and a homeless man approached.

一位流浪漢走向我

I was basically intruding in his living space.

基本上我是侵犯了他的居住空間

I was really frightened at first,

一開始我非常的害怕

but I calmly explained to him that I was working on an art project

但是我冷靜的向他解釋我正在拍攝我的藝術作品

and he didn't seem to mind

而他看起來並不在意

and so I went ahead and put my camera on self-timer

所以我開始進行我的作品，把我的相機設成自動拍照模式

and ran back and forth.

然後來來回回的跑著

And when I was done, he actually offered me his shirt

當我結束拍攝，他把他的上衣給我

to wipe off my feet

幫我擦腳

and kindly walked me out.

然後和氣的送我出去

It must have been a very unusual day for him.

對他來說，這一定是一個非常不尋常的一天

(Laughter)

(笑)

One thing that struck me, after this incident,

在這事件之後，觸動了我的是

was that a space like that holds so many deleted memories of the city.

這樣的空間包含著這個城市許許多多被消除的記憶

That homeless man, to me, really represented

這位流浪漢，對我來說，真實的代表了

an element of the unconscious of the city.

這個無意識城市的一個元素

He told me that he was abused above ground

他對我說當他還居住在地面上時曾被虐待

and was once in Riker's Island,

並曾經住在雷克島

and at last he found peace and quiet in that space.

最後，他在這個空間找到了平靜

The tunnel was once built for the prosperity of the city,

這個隧道，曾因於城市的繁榮而被建造

but is now a sanctuary for outcasts,

但如今卻是城市棄兒的避難所

who are completely forgotten in the average urban dweller's everyday life.

這些棄兒完全的被普遍的都市居住者所遺忘

This is underneath my alma mater, Columbia University.

這是位於我的母校，哥倫比亞大學的下方

The tunnels are famous for having been used

這些隧道是因為被用於

during the development of the Manhattan Project.

曼哈頓島的開發案而著名

This particular tunnel is interesting

隧道的這個部分很有趣

because it shows the original foundations of Bloomingdale Insane Asylum,

因為它顯露出1890年，當哥倫比亞大學遷入此地時

which was demolished in 1890

被拆毀的布魯明黛爾精神病院

when Columbia moved in.

原本的地基

This is the New York City Farm Colony,

這裡是"紐約市農場殖民地"

which was a poorhouse in Staten Island

在1890到1930年間

from the 1890s to the 1930s.

他原本是史丹島的救濟院

Most of my photos are set in places

大部分我的照片的取景地點

that have been abandoned for decades,

設定在那些被棄置數十年的場所

but this is an exception.

但是此處是一個例外

This children's hospital was closed in 1997;

這間兒童醫院關閉於1997年

it's located in Newark.

位於紐華克

When I was there three years ago,

三年前，當我在那裡的時候

the windows were broken and the walls were peeling,

窗戶破了，牆面斑駁

but everything was left there as it was.

但是所有的東西卻像當時的情景一樣被遺留了下來

You see the autopsy table, morgue trays, x-ray machines

你可以看到手術台,停屍托盤，以及X光機

and even used utensils,

甚至還有用過的刀叉

which you see on the autopsy table.

就在手術台上

After exploring recently-abandoned buildings,

在我造訪過一些不久前被遺棄的大樓

I felt that everything could fall into ruins very fast:

我感覺到很多東西可以在很短暫的時間內變成廢墟

your home, your office, a shopping mall, a church --

你住的地方，你的辦公室，逛街商場，或是教會

any man-made structures around you.

任何在你四週的人造結構

I was reminded of how fragile our sense of security is

他們提醒了我，人們的安全感是多麼經不起考驗

and how vulnerable people truly are.

而且人們是多麼的脆弱

I love to travel,

我喜歡旅行

and Berlin has become one of my favorite cities.

柏林是我最喜歡的城市之一

It's full of history,

她有著豐富的歷史

and also full of underground bunkers

而且擁有許多的地下地堡

and ruins from the war.

以及戰爭遺留下來的廢墟

This was taken under a homeless asylum

這是攝於一個遊民收容所的下方

built in 1885 to house 1,100 people.

建造於1885年，提供1,100人居住空間

I saw the structure while I was on the train,

我在坐火車時，我看到了這個構造

and I got off at the next station and met people there

接著，我在下一站下車，並且遇到了一些人

that gave me access to their catacomb-like basement,

他們讓我進入這些像是地下墓穴的場所

which was used for ammunition storage during the war

戰爭時，它被用作軍火庫

and also, at some point, to hide groups of Jewish refugees.

並且，在某個時間點，它也被用來藏匿大批的猶太難民

This is the actual catacombs in Paris.

這是攝於巴黎的地下墓穴

I explored there extensively

我大規模地在禁止進入的區域

in the off-limits areas

進行探索

and fell in love right away.

而且馬上的愛上了這個地方

There are more than 185 miles of tunnels,

這裡有長度超過185英哩的隧道

and only about a mile is open to the public as a museum.

只有大約一英哩是作為博物館開放給大眾參觀

The first tunnels date back to 60 B.C.

第一座隧道的建造年代可以回朔到西元前60年

They were consistently dug as limestone quarries

當時為挖掘石灰石的採石場

and by the 18th century,

到了十八世紀的時候

the caving-in of some of these quarries posed safety threats,

在這裡挖掘石材構成了人身安全問題

so the government ordered reinforcing of the existing quarries

所以政府下令加強現存採石場的結構

and dug new observation tunnels

並且挖掘新的觀察用隧道

in order to monitor and map the whole place.

用來監控並勘測這整個區域

As you can see, the system is very complex and vast.

就如同你看見的，整個系統非常的複雜，包含的範圍非常廣泛

It's very dangerous to get lost in there.

在這裡迷路是非常危險的

And at the same time,

並且，在同樣的時間點

there was a problem in the city with overflowing cemeteries.

這個城市面臨了墓地過剩的問題

So the bones were moved from the cemeteries into the quarries,

所以骨骸從墓地被移來了這些採石場

making them into the catacombs.

並把這些地方變成地下墓穴

The remains of over six million people are housed in there,

超過六百萬人的遺骸被收容在這裡

some over 1,300 years old.

有些遺骸已經有超過1300年的歷史

This was taken under the Montparnasse Cemetery

這是攝於蒙巴拿斯墓園的下方

where most of the ossuaries are located.

是大部分骨罐的所在地

There are also phone cables that were used in the '50s

這裡也有五零年代的電話纜線

and many bunkers from the World War II era.

還有許多二次世界大戰時期留下來的地堡

This is a German bunker.

這是一個德軍的地堡

Nearby there's a French bunker,

就在這附近有一個法軍的地堡

and the whole tunnel system is so complex

這整個隧道系統非常的複雜

that the two parties never met.

而這兩方從不曾交會

The tunnels are famous for having been used by the Resistance,

這個隧道因為在抵抗運動時被使用而著名

which Victor Hugo wrote about in "Les Miserables."

雨果在悲慘世界中寫到過這件事

And I saw a lot of graffiti from the 1800s, like this one.

我也看到了許多完成於1800年間的塗鴉，就像是這個

After exploring the underground of Paris,

在我結束巴黎地底下的探索之後

I decided to climb up,

我決定向上爬

and I climbed a Gothic monument

我爬上了一個哥德式的紀念碑

that's right in the middle of Paris.

它就位於巴黎的市中心

This is the Tower of Saint Jacques.

這是聖傑克塔

It was built in the early 1500s.

建於1500年間

I don't recommend sitting on a gargoyle in the middle of January, naked.

我不建議誰一月中旬，裸體地，坐在屋頂滴水器上

It was not very comfortable. (Laughter)

並不是很舒服

And all this time,

一直以來

I never saw a single rat in any of these places,

我從來沒有看見任何老鼠

until recently, when I was in the London sewers.

直到最近，當我在倫敦的下水道的時候

This was probably the toughest place to explore.

這裡大概是最不容易探索的的一個地方

I had to wear a gas mask because of the toxic fumes --

因為這裡的有毒氣體，我必須帶防毒面具

I guess, except for in this picture.

大概除了這張照片以外

And when the tides of waste matter come in

當大批的廢棄物質進入下水道時

it sounds as if a whole storm is approaching you.

聲音聽起來就像是暴風雨正在逼近

This is a still from a film I worked on recently, called "Blind Door."

這是一張自我最近正編輯的影片中截取出來的影像，叫做"假門"

I've become more interested in capturing movement and texture.

我最近對於捕捉動態和材質越來越感興趣

And the 16mm black-and-white film gave a different feel to it.

而16厘米的黑白底片為我的作品添加了一種不同的感受

And this is the first theater project I worked on.

這是我的第一個劇場案

I adapted and produced "A Dream Play" by August Strindberg.

我改編並製作了史特林堡的"夢幻劇"

It was performed last September one time only

於去年九月完成僅此一次的演出

in the Atlantic Avenue tunnel in Brooklyn,

於布魯克林區的亞特蘭大大道隧道

which is considered to be the oldest underground train tunnel in the world,

它被視為世界上最古老的地下鐵路隧道

built in 1844.

建造於1844年

I've been leaning towards more collaborative projects like these, lately.

最近我比較傾向投入於像這樣的合作案

But whenever I get a chance I still work on my series.

但是只要我有機會，我仍繼續進行我的攝影系列

The last place I visited

我最近一次造訪的地方

was the Mayan ruins of Copan, Honduras.

是位於宏都拉斯的科潘馬雅遺跡

This was taken inside an archaeological tunnel in the main temple.

這是攝於主要寺廟中的考古隧道

I like doing more than just exploring these spaces.

我喜歡的不僅止於探索這些地方

I feel an obligation to animate and humanize these spaces continually

我感受到一種義務,就是不斷地把這些地方賦予生命及人性

in order to preserve their memories in a creative way --

為了是要有創意的保存這些記憶

before they're lost forever.

在他們永遠地消失以前

Thank you.

謝謝