Jae Rhim Lee: My mushroom burial suit

譯者: Joyce Chou 審譯者: Yen-chung Nora Huang

So I'm here to explain

我今天要跟各位談的是

why I'm wearing these ninja pajamas.

為何我會穿上這忍者裝睡衣

And to do that, I'd like to talk first

在那之前，我想先談談

about environmental toxins in our bodies.

我們身體裡的環境毒素

So some of you may know

在座有些人也許知道

about the chemical Bisphenol A, BPA.

BPA，也就是化學雙酚A

It's a material hardener and synthetic estrogen

這是一種固化劑，也是一種合成雌激素

that's found in the lining of canned foods

可以從罐頭食品的內裝

and some plastics.

和一些塑膠製品中找到

So BPA mimics the body's own hormones

雙酚A類似我們體內的荷爾蒙

and causes neurological and reproductive problems.

會造成造成神經系統和生殖系統的問題

And it's everywhere.

這種物質無所不在

A recent study found BPA

一項最近的研究發現

in 93 percent of people six and older.

六歲以上的人中有93%體內都有此種物質

But it's just one chemical.

但這只是其中一種化學物質

The Center for Disease Control in the U.S.

美國的疾病管制中心表示

says we have 219 toxic pollutants in our bodies,

我們的體內存在了219種毒素

and this includes preservatives, pesticides

當中包含有防腐劑、農藥

and heavy metals like lead and mercury.

以及像是鉛和汞的重金屬

To me, this says three things.

對我而言，這代表了三件事

First, don't become a cannibal.

第一、不要當食人魔

Second, we are both responsible for and the victims of

第二、我們同時是汙染者

our own pollution.

也是汙染的受害者

And third,

第三

our bodies are filters and storehouses

我們的身體是

for environmental toxins.

環境毒素的濾心也是倉庫

So what happens to all these toxins when we die?

所以這所有的毒素在我們死後會變成如何呢？

The short answer is:

簡單來說

They return to the environment in one way or another,

它們會以各種方式回到環境中

continuing the cycle of toxicity.

繼續毒素的循環

But our current funeral practices

但我們目前處理喪禮的方式

make the situation much worse.

讓整個情況更加嚴重

If you're cremated,

如果是以火化的方式進行

all those toxins I mentioned are released into the atmosphere.

我剛提到所有這些毒素會被釋放到大氣中

And this includes 5,000 pounds of mercury

這包括5000磅的汞

from our dental fillings alone every year.

這還單只是我們每年使用的補牙填充物而已

And in a traditional American funeral,

而傳統的美國式喪禮

a dead body is covered with fillers and cosmetics

大體會覆蓋填充物和化妝品

to make it look alive.

要讓大體看起來有生命

It's then pumped with toxic formaldehyde

而且會注射有毒的甲醛

to slow decomposition --

去延緩大體腐敗

a practice which causes respiratory problems and cancer

這種作法會造成葬儀社人員

in funeral personnel.

罹患呼吸道疾病及癌症

So by trying to preserve our dead bodies,

為了保存我們的大體

we deny death, poison the living

我們拒絕接受死亡，卻荼毒活著的人

and further harm the environment.

甚至傷害環境

Green or natural burials, which don't use embalming,

環保或自然的墓葬，則不做防腐工作

are a step in the right direction,

那是方向較正確的處理方式

but they don't address the existing toxins in our bodies.

但還是沒有解決我們身體裡存在的毒素

I think there's a better solution.

我認為有更好的解決之道

I'm an artist,

我是一位藝術家

so I'd like to offer a modest proposal

我想提供一個

at the intersection

介於藝術、科學和文化

of art, science and culture.

三者交會點間的婉轉建議

The Infinity Burial Project,

一個終極的喪禮計畫

an alternative burial system

一個替代性的殮葬方式

that uses mushrooms

也就是使用蘑菇

to decompose and clean toxins in bodies.

來分解和清理體內的毒素

The Infinity Burial Project

這個終極的喪禮計畫

began a few years ago with a fantasy

起因於幾年前的一個想法

to create the Infinity Mushroom --

想創造出一種終極蘑菇

a new hybrid mushroom

一種新型混種的蘑菇

that would decompose bodies, clean the toxins

可以分解身體、清理毒素

and deliver nutrients to plant roots,

然後將養分傳送到植物根部

leaving clean compost.

留下乾淨的堆肥

But I learned it's nearly impossible

但我發現幾乎不可能

to create a new hybrid mushroom.

創造出這種新型混種蘑菇

I also learned

我也學到

that some of our tastiest mushrooms

我們一些嘗起來美味的蘑菇

can clean environmental toxins in soil.

能夠清理土壤裡的環境毒素

So I thought maybe I could train an army

這讓我覺得也許我能培養一群

of toxin-cleaning edible mushrooms

可食用的清毒素的蘑菇

to eat my body.

來分解我的身體

So today, I'm collecting what I shed or slough off --

今天我收集了一些我掉落或脫落的

my hair, skin and nails --

頭髮、皮屑和指甲

and I'm feeding these to edible mushrooms.

然後施給這些可食用的蘑菇當作養分

As the mushrooms grow,

當這些蘑菇在成長時

I pick the best feeders

我選了長得最好的蘑菇

to become Infinity Mushrooms.

當作終極蘑菇

It's a kind of imprinting and selective breeding process

這很像為後世進行印痕作用

for the afterlife.

和選擇育種的過程

So when I die,

所以當我過世

the Infinity Mushrooms will recognize my body

這些終極蘑菇會認出我的大體

and be able to eat it.

然後能夠分解我的大體

All right, so for some of you,

好吧，對在座某些人來說

this may be really, really out there.

這也許真的會實現

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

Just a little.

有一點吧

I realize this is not the kind of relationship

我意識到這並非

that we usually aspire to have with our food.

我們對於食物的某種認知

We want to eat, not be eaten by, our food.

我們吃食物，但不是被食物吃

But as I watch the mushrooms grow

但當我看著這些蘑菇成長

and digest my body,

分解消化我部分的身體

I imagine the Infinity Mushroom

我想像這終極蘑菇

as a symbol of a new way of thinking about death

是一種新的象徵

and the relationship between my body and the environment.

象徵思考死亡以及我的身體和環境間的關係

See for me,

看看我

cultivating the Infinity Mushroom

培育終極蘑菇

is more than just scientific experimentation

並非只是科學實驗

or gardening or raising a pet,

或是園藝工作或養寵物

it's a step towards accepting the fact

這是一種接納的步驟

that someday I will die and decay.

接受有天我會死亡和腐敗的事實

It's also a step

這也一種步驟

towards taking responsibility

要承擔責任

for my own burden on the planet.

為這個地球承擔我自己帶來的負擔

Growing a mushroom is also part of a larger practice

培育蘑菇也是培育

of cultivating decomposing organisms

有生物分解力的有機體的大型實驗之一

called decompiculture,

這是一種生物分解藝術 (decompiculture)

a concept that was developed by an entomologist,

是由Timothy Myles一位昆蟲學家

Timothy Myles.

發展出的概念

The Infinity Mushroom is a subset of decompiculture

終極蘑菇是生物分解藝術下的分支

I'm calling body decompiculture and toxin remediation --

我把它稱為人體分解藝術和毒素清理

the cultivation of organisms that decompose

就是培養生物有機體來

and clean toxins in bodies.

分解和清理體內毒素

And now about these ninja pajamas.

現在回來談談這忍者裝睡衣

Once it's completed,

如果完成

I plan to integrate the Infinity Mushrooms into a number of objects.

我預計將終極蘑菇和各式的物品結合

First, a burial suit

首先，做成一件壽衣

infused with mushroom spores,

上頭布滿了蘑菇孢子

the Mushroom Death Suit.

一件蘑菇做的壽衣

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

I'm wearing the second prototype

我現在穿的是

of this burial suit.

第二款壽衣的雛形

It's covered with a crocheted netting

這是針織成的網

that is embedded with mushroom spores.

上頭也嵌入了蘑菇孢子

The dendritic pattern you see

各位看到的樹突狀圖案

mimics the growth of mushroom mycelia,

模仿了蘑菇菌絲生長

which are the equivalent of plant roots.

這和植物的根相當類似

I'm also making a decompiculture kit,

我也做出了生物分解藝術的套件

a cocktail of capsules

雞尾酒式的膠囊

that contain Infinity Mushroom spores

裡頭也有終極蘑菇的孢子

and other elements

還有其他元素

that speed decomposition and toxin remediation.

能夠加快生物分解和毒素清理

These capsules are embedded in a nutrient-rich jelly,

這些膠囊中含有一種營養豐富的果凍

a kind of second skin,

像是第二層皮膚

which dissolves quickly

可以溶解的很快

and becomes baby food for the growing mushrooms.

然後變成成長中蘑菇的嬰兒食品

So I plan to finish the mushroom and decompiculture kit

我預計要在明年或後年

in the next year or two,

完成培育蘑菇和生物分解藝術的套件

and then I'd like to begin testing them,

然後我想開始測試它們

first with expired meat from the market

會先拿超市裡過期的肉品測試

and then with human subjects.

然後才會人體測試

And believe it or not,

不管各位相信與否

a few people have offered to donate their bodies to the project

有少數人已經答應捐贈他們的大體參與這個計劃

to be eaten by mushrooms.

讓蘑菇分解他們的大體

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

What I've learned from talking to these folks

從談這些故事中，我學到的是

is that we share a common desire

我們有共同的慾望

to understand and accept death

想了解和接受死亡

and to minimize the impact of our death on the environment.

同時降低死亡對環境的影響

I wanted to cultivate this perspective

我想培養這個概念

just like the mushrooms,

就像培育蘑菇一樣

so I formed the Decompiculture Society,

所以我建構了一個生物分解藝術的社群

a group of people called decompinauts

一群叫做生物分解藝術人士(decompinauts)

who actively explore their postmortem options,

他們積極地探索身後事的選擇性

seek death acceptance

追求接納死亡

and cultivate decomposing organisms

也幫助培育生物分解有機體

like the Infinity Mushroom.

例如終極蘑菇

The Decompiculture Society shares a vision

生物分解藝術的社群分享了

of a cultural shift,

一種文化變遷的概念

from our current culture of death denial and body preservation

從我們當前拒絕接受死亡和遺體保存的文化

to one of decompiculture,

變成生物分解藝術

a radical acceptance of death and decomposition.

並且理性的接受死亡和遺體分解

Accepting death means accepting

接受死亡意味著

that we are physical beings

我們是自然的

who are intimately connected to the environment,

我們和環境緊密的結合

as the research on environmental toxins confirms.

就如同做環境研究時，那些毒素的存在一樣

And the saying goes,

老話一句

we came from dust and will return to dust.

我們本是塵土，仍要歸於塵土

And once we understand that we're connected to the environment,

只要我們了解我們和環境是相連的

we see that the survival of our species

我們的生存

depends on the survival of the planet.

仰賴地球的生存

I believe this is the beginning

我相信這會是

of true environmental responsibility.

真正環境責任承擔的開端

Thank you.

謝謝各位

(Applause)

(掌聲)