Imaginative sculptures that explore how we perceive reality | Alicia Eggert

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Lo Hsien Huang

If you happened to be in the town of Lubec, Maine

如果 2016 年七月時，

你剛好在緬因州的盧貝克，

in July of 2016,

you may have seen something a little curious on the horizon

你往外看向海灣時，可能會看到

when you looked out across the bay.

地平線上有個稀奇古怪的小東西。

In the distance,

在遠方，

on an otherwise uninhabited island,

一個本來應該無人居住的島嶼上，

loomed large black letters that spelled the word "FOREVER."

隱約出現了大型黑色字母， 拼出「FOREVER（永遠）」。

The sign was 15 feet tall and 50 feet wide,

這個標誌的大小是 十五英尺高、五十英尺寬，

large enough so that on a clear day, you really could see "FOREVER,"

大到你在晴天時真的 可以看見「永遠」。

the word perfectly visible and legible in the distance.

這個詞清楚可見出現在遠方。

But on some days,

但是有些時候，

a thick white fog would roll in off the ocean,

海上會捲起一陣白霧，

erasing the word and the view altogether.

把這個詞和這個景 通通從視線中抹除。

And sometimes, like in this video,

有時，就像在這支影片中一樣，

you could barely see "FOREVER" peeking out of the shifting fog,

你只能從不斷變化的霧間 微微瞥見「永遠」，

accompanied only by the rhythmic warning sounds of fog horns.

伴隨著警告船隻的霧號聲 很有節奏地響著。

(Sound of fog horn)

（霧號聲）

(Sound of fog horn)

（霧號聲）

It started out as a fairly simple idea,

一開始，這只是個簡單的想法，

albeit a little strange,

雖然有點奇怪，

to put the word "FOREVER" in the landscape

但我就是想把「永遠」放在地景上，

so it could appear and disappear in the fog.

讓它能在霧中若隱若現。

But it took over a year to plan and execute,

但計畫和執行就花了 一年以上的時間，

and it required the help of so many people,

且還需要很多人的協助，

like the lobster boat captain,

比如龍蝦船的船長，

who helped transport all of the materials to the island.

他幫忙把所有的材料運到島上。

And the volunteers, who helped carry thousands of pounds of wood and steel

還有志工，他們協助搬運 數千磅的木材和鋼材，

to the top of the hill through waist-high shrubs.

穿過及腰的灌木，一路搬到山丘上。

And in the end,

最後，

"FOREVER" only lasted for three weeks.

「永遠」只撐了三週。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So if you're wondering why I did it at all,

如果你很納悶我幹嘛還要做這件事，

as I often did during that process,

我自己在那過程中也常如此納悶，

it might help for you to know a little bit more about me

如果你稍微了解我 和我被養育的方式，

and my upbringing.

可能可以協助你解惑。

I grew up in an evangelical Christian family.

我在基督教福音派的家庭長大。

And although I'm an atheist today,

雖然現在我是無神論者，

I've realized that my religious upbringing

但我知道我的宗教養育過程

has played a really important role in shaping the person that I've become.

對於形塑我這個人， 扮演了很重要的角色。

In 1986, when I was five years old,

1986 年，我五歲時，

my parents became missionaries to South Africa.

我父母成為傳教士，前往南非。

And that was during the last few years of the apartheid,

那是種族隔離的最後幾年，

so we lived in an all-white neighborhood,

所以我們住進了 一個全是白人的鄰坊，

and I attended an all-white public school,

我讀的是全是白人的公立學校，

while my parents helped found a multiracial church

我父母找到一個多種族的教堂，

in downtown Cape Town.

位在開普頓市區。

Because I was so young,

因為我年紀很小，我無法理解

it was impossible for me to understand

the magnitude of what was happening in South Africa at that time.

南非當時狀況的嚴重性。

I witnessed the racism and oppression of people of color I knew and loved

我每天都會目擊種族歧視，

我認識、我摯愛的 有色人種人民被迫害，

on a daily basis,

but because of my own skin color,

但是因為我自己是白人，

there was no way I could fully comprehend it.

我不可能完全了解這些。

But I had the privilege to experience, firsthand,

但我有機會可以親身體驗

one of the most influential social movements of the 20th century.

二十世紀最有影響力的 社會運動之一。

And the thing that left a long-lasting impression on me

而讓我印象深刻又難忘的

was how the people I met in South Africa

是我在南非所見到的人如何能夠

could envision a better future for themselves and their country.

為他們自己及國家 展望一個更好的未來。

A future they really believed was possible.

他們真心相信這個未來 是有可能實現的。

And then they worked together, relentlessly, for decades,

接著，數十年他們一起努力不懈，

until they achieved that extraordinary historic change.

直到達成那不凡的歷史性改變。

I was there to see Nelson Mandela released from prison,

我在那裡看到曼德拉從監獄被釋放，

and I watched an entire country begin a major transformation.

我看著整個國家展開重大的轉型。

And that transformed me as a person.

那改變了我。

It instilled in me a sense of wonder and optimism

灌輸我一種驚奇感以及樂觀，

and possibility that permeates everything I create.

以及可能性，我的每件 作品中都充滿這種感覺。

I make sculptures like "FOREVER"

我創作「永遠」這類雕塑，是想要

as a way of giving physical, tangible forms to language and time.

讓語言和時間也能夠 具有實體的形式。

Those powerful but invisible forces

那些強大但看不見的力量

that shape the way we perceive and experience our realities.

形塑了我們感受和體驗現實的方式。

And in doing so, I try to give other people the opportunity

我這麼做也是試圖給予其他人機會，

to reflect on their own perception of reality

讓他們能反思自己對現實的感受，

and inspire them to wonder and imagine

並鼓勵他們去好奇、去想像

what else might be possible.

還有什麼其他的可能性。

I often use signs to do this,

我通常會用標誌來做這事，

because of how simply and effectively they're able to grab our attention

因為它們能夠簡單又有效地 抓住我們的注意力

and communicate information.

並傳遞資訊。

They often point out things we would otherwise overlook,

它們通常是用來指出 我們原本會忽略的東西，

like this sign on the side of the highway in Texas.

比如這個標誌，

位在德州高速公路旁。

[TEMPTATIONS]

〔誘惑〕標誌通常可以表示 完全看不見的東西，

They can often signify things that we can't see at all,

like the distance to our destination.

比如到達目的地的距離。

Signs often help to orient us in the world

標誌通常能協助我們在世界上 找到方向，〔你在島嶼上〕

[You are on an island]

因為能標明現在的所在， 以及目前正在發生的狀況，

by telling us where we are now

and what's happening in the present moment,

but they can also help us zoom out,

但標誌也能協助我們拉遠，

shift our perspective

轉換我們的視野，

and get a glimpse of the bigger picture.

能夠一瞥更大的全景。

Imagine, for example,

比如，想像一下，

you're walking down the street in Philadelphia.

你走在費城的街上。

A city in the US that contains so much history,

費城是一個充滿 歷史的美國城市，

the birthplace of our constitution.

也是憲法的誕生地。

But imagine you're walking down the street

但是想像你正走在街上，

in an area that's undergoing a huge transformation

因為中產階級化，這個地區

due to gentrification.

正在發生巨大的轉變。

And as you walk down that street,

當你走在街上時，

you notice something flashing up above you.

你注意到上方有什麼東西在閃爍。

So you look up and you see this.

於是你抬頭看，看見了這一景。

A flashing neon sign that says

閃爍的霓虹標誌，寫著：

"All the light you see is from the past,"

「你看見的光都來自過去」，

and then "All you see is past,"

接著是「你看見的都是過去」，

before turning off completely for a brief moment.

然後完全熄燈一小段時間。

It asks you to stop and notice

它請你停下來留意

the history embedded in everything that you see.

你所見的一切當中所埋藏的歷史。

And it reminds you

它會提醒你，

that because light takes time to travel across space,

因為光在空間中旅行要花時間，

even from just across the street or across the room,

即使只是穿越街道或房間，

everything you're seeing in the present moment

你目前所看見的一切，

is technically an image of the past.

技術上來說仍然是過去的影像。

Signs influence the way we all navigate the world,

標誌會影響我們 探索這個世界的方式，

which means they have the ability to create

意即標誌有能力可以創造

a collective experience or understanding.

集體的體驗或理解。

My time in South Africa taught me

我在南非的日子讓我學到，

that when people are able to find common ground

當大家能夠找到彼此的共通點，

and work together towards a mutual goal,

一起朝共同目標努力，

powerful things can happen and so much more becomes possible.

就會產生很大的力量 以及更多更多的可能性。

And I want to create more opportunities

而我想要創造更多機會，

for people to find that kind of common ground.

讓大家能找到那種共通點。

I want people to feel the power of collaboration,

我希望大家能感受到合作的力量，

sometimes quite literally.

有時候真的就是如此而已。

A few years ago,

幾年前，

a friend of mine showed me

我的朋友讓我看到人體如何

how our bodies can safely conduct small amounts of electricity.

能夠安全地傳導微量電流。

And if you hold hands with another person,

當你和另一個人手牽手，

a small electrical current can pass through your held hands

會有微量的電流通過你們握住的手，

and become like a switch that can trigger something else to happen.

變成像是一個開關， 能夠觸發其他的事件。

So last year, I used that form of human connection

所以去年我用了 那種人體連接的形式，

to activate an inflatable sculpture.

來啟動一個充氣式的雕塑。

I put two sensors on a platform far enough apart

我把兩個感測器放在平台上， 它們之間的距離夠遠，

so that one person can't make it work on their own.

單單一個人無法靠自己辦到。

But when two or more people work together

但如果有兩個以上的人合作，

to complete that electrical circuit,

完成一個電路，

the inflatable comes to life.

這個充氣式雕塑就會活過來。

And it begins to fill with air,

它就會開始充氣，

and the longer people hold hands, the larger it becomes,

大家握手的時間越長， 它就會變得越大，

expanding into the words "You are magic."

擴展成「你就是魔法」這幾個字。

(Music, birds chirping)

（音樂，鳥鳴聲）

I always love to see

我總是很喜歡看每一群人

how each group of people finds a different way

會怎麼找到不同的方式

to bridge that physical and metaphorical divide.

來連結那實體和象徵性的距離。

But as soon as they release their hands and break that connection,

但是只要他們放開手，連結不再，

the words immediately begin to slouch and fall over

這些字馬上就會垂落到地上，

and eventually return to a lifeless pile of fabric on the ground.

最終變回一團沒有生命的布料。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

At this moment in time, I think we could all agree

在這個時刻，我想我們都同意，

that the future feels pretty bleak and uncertain.

感覺起來，未來很陰冷 且充滿不確定性。

But maybe the hope

但是，期盼有個更明亮、

for a brighter, more sustainable, more equitable future

更永續、更公平的未來

depends first on our ability to imagine it.

首先要仰賴我們 把它想像出來的能力。

But after we imagine it,

但是把它想像出來之後，

we actually have to believe it's possible.

我們得要真正相信它有可能成真。

And then we have to find common ground

接著，我們必須要 和我們本來可能不認同的人

with people we would maybe otherwise disagree with

找到彼此的共通點，

and work together towards that mutual goal.

一同朝向那個共同目標努力。

And if we do that, I believe we have the capacity for magic.

我相信，如果我們這麼做， 我們就會有魔法的能力。

So if you can humor me for one more minute,

如果各位願意配合我一下，

I'm going to ask everyone in this theater to hold hands.

我想請這個講廳中的 每個人都手牽手。

When was the last time you held hands with a stranger?

你上次和陌生人牽手是什麼時候？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

如果不會覺得不舒服，

And if you feel comfortable,

go ahead and make that metaphorical gesture

請各位開始跨越那條走道，

去做出那象徵性的動作。

of reaching across the aisle.

And after you've held hands with people on either side of you,

當你和兩側的人都牽起手之後，

if you feel comfortable, please close your eyes.

如果你不會覺得不舒服， 請閉上你的眼睛。

Now take a minute to imagine what you want,

現在，花點時間 想像一下你想要什麼，

what you want the future to look like.

想想你希望未來是怎麼樣的。

And give yourself permission to be at least a little bit idealistic.

可以允許你自己稍微理想化一點。

What do you want to see change or happen in your own life as an individual?

在你自己個人的生活中， 你希望有什麼改變或發生什麼事？

What do you want to see change or happen for everyone, for the planet?

對所有人，對地球，你希望 有什麼改變或發生什麼事？

Can you picture it?

你能想像嗎？

And can you start to see how, if we all worked together,

你能開始了解， 如果大家能夠一條心，

it might actually be possible?

這個想像有可能會成真？

Now open your eyes,

現在，張開眼睛，

and let's make it real.

讓咱們來實現它。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）