Fun, Fierce and Fantastical African Art | Wanuri Kahiu | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Yabing Lv

So, my mother's a pediatrician,

我媽媽是小兒科醫生，

and when I was young, she'd tell the craziest stories

我小時候，她會說非常瘋狂的故事，

that combined science with her overactive imagination.

結合了科學和她過度活躍的想像力。

One of the stories she told was that if you eat a lot of salt,

其中一個故事是如果你吃很多鹽，

all of the blood rushes up your legs,

所有的血液會從你的腳向上衝，

through your body,

通過你的身體，

and shoots out the top of your head,

從你的頭頂噴出，

killing you instantly.

讓你立即死亡。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

She called it "high blood pressure."

她稱之為「高血壓」。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

This was my first experience with science fiction,

這是我對科幻小說的初體驗，

and I loved it.

我很喜歡。

So when I started to write my own science fiction and fantasy,

所以當我開始寫我自己的 科幻及奇幻小說時，

I was surprised that it was considered un-African.

我很意外它們被認為是「不非洲的」。

So naturally, I asked, what is African?

很自然的，我會問， 什麼才算非洲的？

And this is what I know so far:

目前我所知道的如下：

Africa is important.

非洲是重要的。

Africa is the future.

非洲是未來。

It is, though.

儘管，它的確是。

And Africa is a serious place where only serious things happen.

且非洲是個嚴肅的地方， 所有嚴肅的事都會在那裡發生。

So when I present my work somewhere, someone will always ask,

所以當我在某處展示作品，總有人問：

"What's so important about it?

「它有什麼重要性？

How does it deal with real African issues

它如何處理真正的非洲議題，

like war, poverty, devastation or AIDS?"

如戰爭、貧窮、毀壞、或愛滋病？」

And it doesn't.

我的作品不處理這些。

My work is about Nairobi pop bands that want to go to space

我的作品內容是關於 奈洛比流行樂團想要上太空，

or about seven-foot-tall robots

或是關於七呎高的機器人

that fall in love.

陷入愛河。

It's nothing incredibly important.

它不是什麼特別重要的東西。

It's just fun, fierce and frivolous,

它就是好玩、激烈、輕浮的，

as frivolous as bubble gum --

和泡泡糖一樣輕浮──

"AfroBubbleGum."

「非洲泡泡糖」。

So I'm not saying that agenda art isn't important;

我並不是說應辦事項的藝術不重要；

I'm the chairperson of a charity

我是一間慈善機構的主席，

that deals with films and theaters that write about HIV and radicalization

這機構處理影片和劇院

寫作有關愛滋病、激進化、 和女性割禮等議題的劇本。

and female genital mutilation.

It's vital and important art,

那是必要且重要的藝術，

but it cannot be the only art that comes out of the continent.

但非洲大陸不能只產出這種藝術。

We have to tell more stories

我們得要說更多的故事，

that are vibrant.

充滿生氣的故事。

The danger of the single story is still being realized.

單一故事的危險性，還正在發生中。

And maybe it's because of the funding.

也許資金是原因。

A lot of art is still dependent on developmental aid.

許多藝術還仰賴發展的金援。

So art becomes a tool for agenda.

所以藝術成了應辦事項的工具。

Or maybe it's because we've only seen one image of ourselves for so long

也可能是因為長久以來 我們只看見自己的形象，

that that's all we know how to create.

以致於我們只會創造這樣的形象。

Whatever the reason, we need a new way,

不論是什麼理由， 我們都需要新方法。

and AfroBubbleGum is one approach.

而非洲泡泡糖是一種方式。

It's the advocacy of art for art's sake.

它是為藝術而做的藝術擁護。

It's the advocacy of art that is not policy-driven

它不是被政治驅使的藝術擁護，

or agenda-driven

不由應辦事項所驅使，

or based on education,

也不以教育為基礎，

just for the sake of imagination:

單純就是為了想像而做：

AfroBubbleGum art.

非洲泡泡糖藝術。

And we can't all be AfroBubbleGumists.

我們不能全都當非洲泡泡糖藝術家。

We have to judge our work for its potential poverty porn pitfalls.

我們得要判斷我們的作品， 避免陷入貧困色情的陷阱。

We have to have tests that are similar to the Bechdel test,

我們得要有類似 「貝克德爾測驗」的測驗，

and ask questions like:

問類似這樣的問題：

Are two or more Africans in this piece of fiction healthy?

這部小說中，有兩個以上的 健全非洲人嗎？

Are those same Africans financially stable and not in need of saving?

這些健全的非洲人， 財務穩定且不需被救助嗎？

Are they having fun and enjoying life?

他們過得開心、能享受人生嗎？

And if we can answer yes to two or more of these questions,

如果有兩個以上的答案是肯定的，

then surely we're AfroBubbleGumists.

當然，我們就是非洲泡泡糖藝術家

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And fun is political,

樂趣是政治的，

because imagine if we have images of Africans who were vibrant

因為，想像一下，如果我們的 非洲人形象是充滿活力的、

and loving and thriving

慈愛的、茁壯成長的、

and living a beautiful, vibrant life.

過著美好、充滿活力的生活。

What would we think of ourselves then?

那麼我們會如何看待我們自己？

Would we think that maybe we're worthy of more happiness?

也許會覺得我們值得更快樂？

Would we think of our shared humanity through our shared joy?

我們會透過共同的喜悅 來思考我們共同的人性嗎？

I think of these things when I create.

當我創作時，我會想這些事。

I think of the people and the places that give me immeasurable joy,

我會想著給我無限喜悅的人與地，

and I work to represent them.

我會努力來代表他們。

And that's why I write stories

那就是為什麼我寫的故事是關於

about futuristic girls that risk everything to save plants

未來的女孩願賭上一切去拯救植物，

or to race camels

或是去賽駱駝，

or even just to dance,

或甚至只是跳舞。

to honor fun,

向樂趣致敬，

because my world is mostly happy.

因為我的世界大部份是快樂的。

And I know happiness is a privilege in this current splintered world

我知道在目前這個分裂的 世界裡，快樂是項特權，

where remaining hopeful requires diligence.

得要勤勉才能保有希望。

But maybe, if you join me in creating, curating and commissioning

但也許，如果你們能加入我，

創作、策展、委託 更多的非洲泡泡糖藝術，

more AfroBubbleGum art,

there might be hope for a different view of the world,

也許有希望達成不同的世界觀，

a happy Africa view

一個快樂的非洲觀，

where children are strangely traumatized

那裡的孩童因為母親的黑色幽默

by their mother's dark sense of humor,

而受到奇特的心理創傷，

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

but also they're claiming fun, fierce and frivolous art

但同時他們也主張 好玩、激烈、輕浮的藝術，

in the name of all things unseriously African.

以所有不嚴肅的非洲事物為名。

Because we're AfroBubbleGumists

因為我們是非洲泡泡糖藝術家，

and there's so many more of us than you can imagine.

我們的人數眾多，超出你們的想像。

Thank you so much.

非常謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）