All posts by david

Non-Precious Things 我们只配活在面具下吗?

March 22, 2022 2022年3月22日
From the series Pigeon (People Like Us) 来自《鸽子:我们这种人》系列

What type of effect does someone else’s gaze have on a person? How does someone control that and what toll does that effort take on a person? These questions are a significant part of Khairullah Rahim‘s work. Masks, cameras, camouflage—tools wielded in the cat-and-mouse pursuit between those seeking agency and privacy and others trying to strip them of it. He presents everyday, familiar objects as holding complex, hidden lives.


所谓凝视会对人带来哪些影响?被凝视者承担了怎样的压力、心理上应当如何应对?—— 这些都是 Khairullah Rahim 作品的关注重点,面具、监控和伪装都穿插在这场猫鼠游戏之中。这些花俏的面具作品,揭示了平凡表象背后纠葛的心灵。

From the series Pigeon (People Like Us) 来自《鸽子:我们这种人》系列
From the series Pigeon (People Like Us) 来自《鸽子:我们这种人》系列

Born and raised in Singapore, Khairullah is a gay ethnic minority from a working-class family. This background has made him the object of unwanted attention and placed him at the sore end of a significant power imbalance. His art is a distillation of all of these experiences.

Many of his family members are creative in some way, but he was the only one to pursue art as more than just a hobby. “Our priorities were slightly different,” he says of his family’s drive for stability over creative satisfaction. Although they were never against his artistic inclinations, the issue of his sexuality was a little more tricky. He was outed by another family member at 18, and they simply chose never to speak of it again. “I bear no grudges and it’s something I’ve learned to live with and accept,” he says. “In their own ways, I believe they’ve learned to accept me.”

Life outside the home is even more complex. Singapore is a country that still formally outlaws consensual sex between male adults, making it difficult to even talk about the issue. “Any kind of attempts to discuss, educate, or bring about awareness of issues pertaining to our lived experiences are often muffled, misrepresented, and heavily policed,” Khairullah says.


同志画家 Khairullah 生长于新加坡的工人阶级少数民族家庭。在传统家庭中长大,让他因身份而承受家人的有色眼镜、甚至不公平对待的苦果。这些无可奈何的经历都在他日后的艺术作品中得到集中体现。

许多他的家庭成员都在各自的领域饶有建树,但唯独 Khairullah 将艺术创作视为自己的职业追求。相比于艺术,家人往往更倾向于稳定收入的岗位,在谈及此事时,他表示:“我们每个人的生活重心略有不同。”虽然家人们从未反对过 Khairullah 的艺术事业,但就性取向这一问题上的态度却莫衷一是。十八岁时,他甚至因此被某位家庭成员逐出家门。自那之后,家人们对此事闭口不谈。“我并不怨恨他们,我已经能够坦然接受这一事实”, 他说:“我更愿意相信他们已经接纳了我的身份。”

然而,社会相比家庭要复杂得多。在新加坡,男性之间的同性性行为依然违法,即便自愿也是如此,这类话题在旁人看来是禁忌。他认为:“任何形式的讨论、教育以及发声统统会被打压和歪曲,政府甚至会兴师动众地派用大批警力来镇压。”

From the series The Incredible Frolic 来自《纵情贪欢》系列
From the series The Incredible Frolic 来自《纵情贪欢》系列
From the series The Incredible Frolic 来自《纵情贪欢》系列

The dance between lovers is a space of freedom in Khairullah’s world, one he explores with affection and adoration. He often talks about “cruising”—a term describing the act of gay men seeking out partners in public spaces—drawing analogies between peacocking and the way real birds flaunt their plumage. In his exhibition, The Incredible Frolic, he gathered found objects from past “cruising grounds,” presenting them as quirky sculptures and assemblages, including a pair of wings made with rope scraps and public bathroom fixtures, some of it gathered from the beach and nearby pool facilities.


对于自己的艺术事业,Khairullah 满腔热血。在这里,恋人们可以自由共舞,无关乎性别。他常常提及“狩猎”一词,用来比喻同性在公共场所寻觅伴侣时的情形,他将其比作鸟儿在求偶时张开美丽翅膀的样子。在系列作品《纵情贪欢》(The Incredible Frolic)中,他将“狩猎场”中的出现的事物融入创作,例如其中一件作品便结合了泳池绳索和公共卫生间设施。

From the series Pigeon (People Like Us) 来自《鸽子:我们这种人》系列

His love of birds began in childhood and they’ve appeared in his art for years. During an artist residency in Austria, he created his first pigeon mask as part of an exploration of avian beauty, featuring rhinestone feathers, a golden beak, and an ornate star halo. He later loosely built on the shared behavior between birds and humans with Gathering Of Flocks, an exhibition centered on his local neighborhoods. Each flock, or housing block, is captured through assemblages crafted from everyday domestic objects that range from bells, candles, fence posts, and clothes hangers. These creations, Khairullah believes, can represent “fragments of their private lives and social demographics.”


Khairullah 自孩提时期起便对鸟情有独钟。多年来,鸟在他的作品中屡见不鲜。曾在奥地利居住期间,他沉迷于飞行动物的美丽,并在那里首次制作了鸽子面具。这部面具由闪闪发亮的莱茵石、金色鸟喙点缀,不同材质彼此熠熠生辉。后来,他基于鸟和人类在生活场景中出现的共同道具,创作了系列作品《鸟群》(Gathering Of Flocks)。铃铛、蜡烛、篱笆和衣架等日常生活用品被恰到好处地进行组合,不同面具对应不同的道具。Khairullah 相信这些作品能够在一定程度上反映不同人群私下里迥异的生活习惯。

From the series Gathering of Flocks 来自《鸟群》系列
From the series Gathering of Flocks 来自《鸟群》系列
From the series Gathering of Flocks 来自《鸟群》系列

In the series Non-Precious Things, Khairullah again dwells on commonplace objects, but instead of reconfiguring them into abstract assemblages, he keeps their original form and decorates them with costume jewelry, stickers, and paint. When taken at face value, the items—blades, hammers, and cages—are mundane. And with his decorations, they’re imbued with a sense of levity and charm. “Upon closer inspection, each carries a certain sense of hostility and risk,” he notes of his object choices. “The beautification is a strategy to not only appeal but also to mask and obscure.” Dress it up however you want, danger is still danger. A bedazzled security camera is still a tool of surveillance and a golden mallet can still make for a deadly weapon.


在《日常配件》(Non-Precious Things)系列作品中,我们还可以看到生活中司空见惯的物品。这些物品饰以珠宝、贴画和颜料,并重新进行拆分组合,例如刀片、锤子和笼子都属于平价生活用品。在谈及物品的选择时,Khairullah 表示“细看便会体味出事物本身的敌意和风险……这种美化策略不仅是为了吸引眼球,同时也为了遮蔽和隐藏。”无论外表如何光鲜,危险依然存在。被装饰得花里胡哨的摄像头依然能监控人们的生活;能带来好运的金锤也可能是致命武器。”

From the series Non-Precious Things 来自《日常配件》系列
From the series Non-Precious Things 来自《日常配件》系列
From the series Non-Precious Things 来自《日常配件》系列
From the series Non-Precious Things 来自《日常配件》系列
From the series Non-Precious Things 来自《日常配件》系列

Classism is an issue dealt with most directly in Tender Musk. In the project, a human-like figure built from “dirty” cleaning supplies was set up on street corners, evoking imagery of a homeless person in plain sight yet still unseen by pedestrians. The piece is a statement on invisible professions like janitors, which are often shunned and overlooked, preferably forgotten. By placing the sculpture in public spaces, he draws that contrast out, highlighting a humanity that’s been erased.


Khairullah 曾举办过一场名为《柔情麝香》(Tender Musk)的个展,其直截了当地反映了阶级歧视问题。展区内,“肮脏”的清洁用品被堆成人形静静伫立,如无家可归者一般冷落不堪。这件作品为常常被人忽视的工作人群发声,人来人往与形单影只形成对比,强调了“被隐身”者的悲哀。

From the series Tender Musk 来自《柔情麝香》展览
From the series Tender Musk 来自《柔情麝香》展览

With his most recent mixed-media project, Pigeon (People Like Us), Khairullah has crystallized his ideas and aesthetics, tying together his various subjects of contemplation with striking masks. Each piece is an expansion on his original pigeon mask and is built out of welding face fields decorated with mirrors, road reflectors, handrails, and more. Everything is sourced from the working-class neighborhood of Boon Lay, which is populated by elderly people, migrant workers, and foreign students. All of these objects are ostensibly used for safety purposes, but installed on his masks, they become unwieldy and cumbersome. Their reflectivity is especially important: “Many associate light closely with notions of safety, but there are also lights which illuminate more intensely on some than others,” he says, explaining the symbolization of visibility. Some people may want to avoid that “light,” particularly those from disadvantaged communities. But the pieces also invert these ideas, with the reflective qualities also representing the shielding and repelling of unwanted attention.


Khairullah 将其观点和美学理念在最新的混合媒体项目《鸽子:我们这种人》中付诸实践。项目设计以他最初的鸽子面具为基础,在电焊面罩上饰以镜子、反光路标和栏杆碎片等物品,这些材料全部取自新加坡 Boon Lay 区域,那里常住着老人、外来务工人员和国际学生。作品大多选用可反光材料进行制作,在谈及其背后的意义时,Khairullah 认为:“许多人把光亮与安全紧密联系在一起,然而一些人群却被大众拒绝曝光。”对弱势群体来说,他们对于那“光”避之不及。也许从另一个角度看,这些装饰物的反射作用也象征着对于多余关注的抵挡,使特定人群不受到伤害。

From the series Pigeon (People Like Us) 来自《鸽子:我们这种人》系列
From the series Pigeon (People Like Us) 来自《鸽子:我们这种人》系列
From the series Pigeon (People Like Us) 来自《鸽子:我们这种人》系列
From the series Pigeon (People Like Us) 来自《鸽子:我们这种人》系列

As he started exploring the idea of hypervisibility more deeply, the idea of the pigeon from his earlier work took on deeper meaning: “The density and iridescence of the pigeon’s neck plumage, that reflection and deflection of light become a metaphor for visibility and defense mechanism in our lives,” he explains. “From one perspective, the mask does provide protection and safety by offering a sort of cover and anonymity. At the same time, this is often at the cost of rendering the wearer an imprecise, toned down, or even weakened voice.”

This piling on of defensive mechanisms, while necessary, creates unwelcome burdens. “Marginalized folk,” Khairullah hammers home, “are constantly navigating and code switching in between guilt, shame, and desire under surveillance in a hostile environment.”


随着对“光线”这一概念探究的逐渐深入,先前作品中的鸽子意象被赋予了更为深刻的含义:“鸽子颈部羽毛的密度和绚丽色彩对光线在不同程度上产生着反射和折射作用,象征着我们生活中的可见性和防御机制。一方面,面罩的遮挡确实能给人带来安全和保护;但与此同时,佩戴者的声音也会变得模糊不清,甚至被削弱”。

层层加码的防御机制虽然必要,但也给人带来了负担。Khairullah 无奈地表示:“在新加坡,像我们这种被边缘化人群一直生活在恶意中,面对外界的监视,始终在内疚、羞愧和欲望间左右摇摆、反反复复。”

Like our stories? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Website: www.khairullahrahim.com
Instagram
: @khairullahrahim

 

Contributor: Mike Steyels
Chinese Translation: Alice Zhang


喜欢我们的故事?欢迎关注我们 Neocha 的微博微信

 

网站: www.khairullahrahim.com
Instagram
: @khairullahrahim

 

供稿人: Mike Steyels
英译中: Alice Zhang

The Future Starts at the Floor 陪伴高山之巅,穿行通勤街道

March 8, 2022 2022年3月8日

This story is part of a content partnership and media exchange between Neocha and MAEKAN. To see more of MAEKAN’s content on Neocha, click here.

For a significant amount of the year, Vancouver is blanketed with dreary fog and rain. The Pacific Northwest may not batter you with the same frigid cold of its neighboring provinces and states, but it forces you to constantly consider your relationship with the elements and the place of your comfort in the overall equation.

Arc’teryx and its fashion-inclined diffusion label VEILANCE are nestled firmly between the sea and the mountains. A short drive in any direction offers picturesque landscapes that become ever slightly less hospitable should you venture into them. Here, years of trial and error and dreaming on the design floor have made Arc’teryx and VEILANCE leaders in the world of performance. Crafting the ultimate garment means carving a path towards freedom. Regardless of your next destination, whether it’s the summit or the office, you’re doing so knowing the gear will enable you to get there comfortably, in one piece. This is the definition of freedom for VEILANCE’s Taka Kasuga.

In the emerging stages of any new brand, the philosophy may not always be apparent nor will it have had time to crystallize. In the last few years, VEILANCE has come under Taka-san’s watchful eye and capable design direction. Pushing against the expectations of his family and community, the Japanese-born designer chose a far different path that was expected. He traded the opportunity of a lifeline—the chance to become a 50th-generation Shinto priest to be precise—for the allure of sneakers, t-shirts, and denim, symbols of a different kind of freedom to him.

VEILANCE represents one of the purest examples of minimalism within fashion. Any individual piece embodies a sense of thoughtfulness and consideration. It’s a personal belief that for minimalism to work, it must lead with cohesion. If any particular detail is off, there’s nowhere to hide it, and no superfluous elements that could otherwise divert one’s attention.

Over the course of our conversation with Taka-san, we explored his past and his early career, the value of being in such close proximity to innovation and production, and ultimately how a role at VEILANCE requires you to be a futurist.

 



本篇文章来自新茶媒体合作伙伴 MAEKAN 的内容交换。在 Neocha 上阅读更多 MAEKAN 的文章,请 点击此处

温哥华天气单调,常年被茫茫雾气和纷繁雨幕笼罩。太平洋西北地区的气候也许不算寒冷刺骨,但也迫使那里的人们不断思考,自身与环境的关系以及舒适的生活几何。

始祖鸟及其复线 VEILANCE(商务鸟)雄踞于群山与大海之间。向任意方向驾车行使,不出一会儿,瑰丽风光尽收眼底,但如若进一步深入那崇山峻岭,又会隐隐察觉到潜藏的危险。在这里,经年累月的试错以及对服装设计赤诚的追求使始祖鸟和 VEILANCE 在高性能服装领域拔得头筹。打造顶级服饰,铺就自由之路。高山之巅亦或是办公室格挡,无论你前路何方,仅需一件外套,就能悠然自得:它能助你一臂之力,让你轻松到达目的地——这就是商务鸟 VEILANCE 创意总监 Taka Kasuya 对自由的定义。

任何品牌的初创阶段,品牌理念有时也许并不明晰。不过,在过去的几年里,Taka 先生毫不懈怠地为商务鸟把关,他出类拔萃的设计风格也为其指引了方向。这位出生于日本的设计师原可能成为第五十代神道教牧师,但他选择了一条与家族期望背道而驰的道路,被运动鞋、T恤和牛仔布的魅力所倾倒。对他而言,这些都是另一种自由的象征。

商务鸟是时尚界极简主义的典型代表之一,每件服饰都凝聚着设计师的深思熟虑。我个人认为一致性是极简主义发挥作用的前提。倘若任何一个细节出了问题,它都会十分醒目,没有过多其他元素能用来分散人们的注意力。

在与 Taka 先生的对话中,我们探索了他的过去以及职业初期的经历。此外,他还与我们分享了创新和生产的意义,以及商务鸟如何迫使他成为一名未来主义者的。


MAEKAN: Was there ever a moment in your youth that really influenced you from a fashion perspective?

Taka: That’s a good question and a big one. I knew that I wanted to become a designer at an early age in my teens. I knew where I wanted to go, which is strange in a sense. In Japan, you go to school, you study hard, you go to college and you end up at some job. It’s all mapped out. But I came from a very traditional family. Have you ever watched this Netflix show called Unorthodox?

 

MAEKAN: No. What’s it about?

Taka: It’s about the community and the life of Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. But it’s a totally different world, and their culture and personas aren’t always accepted but they’re able to fit into the community.

In a sense, I felt the same way: it wasn’t to that extreme, but I just started to question why everyone was expecting me to follow the path that was already established in a sense.

It’s not something that I wanted to do, so I had to come up with something else. I had that pressure at an early age and I wasn’t good at communicating verbally. But I was able to express ideas through drawing and designing.

The other occupation I considered becoming an architect. Because I like combining the two sides of things. One side is expression and form, and the other side is a more mathematical part.


MAEKAN: 在你年少时,有没有哪个瞬间使你对时尚有了更加深刻的认识,带给你深远的影响?

Taka: 这是个很好的问题,格局也很大。自孩提时期起,我就知道我想成为一名设计师。我有明确的目标,从某种意义上说,这一点并不寻常。在日本,人们的人生规划似乎一成不变:去学校、勤奋学习、上大学、找工作……而我来自一个十分传统的家庭。你看过一部叫做《离经叛道》(Unorthodox)的网飞剧吗?

MAEKAN: 没有哎,讲的什么内容?

Taka: 这部剧讲述了一群哈希德派犹太人的故事。生活在布鲁克林威廉斯堡的他们有着与众不同的世界,与旁人有着天壤之别。因此,他们的文化与身份有时无法被人接受。尽管如此,他们依然能与周遭的人打成一片。

从某种意义上讲,我对此感同身受。虽然我并不那么特立独行,但我依然在质疑:为什么所有人都期望我按照一条既定的道路开展我的人生?既然我对那条路并不感兴趣,因此我选择另辟蹊径。年少的不善言辞带来很多压力,不过,我还能够通过绘画和设计来表达自己的想法。

对我来说,建筑师是也是一个理想职业。因为我喜欢将事物的两个方面合二为一,将外部形态与内部结构融为一体。

Taka Kasuga working on a new design. Taka Kasuga 正忙活全新的设计
A portrait of Taka Kasuga. Taka Kasuga

MAEKAN: What would’ve been that traditional occupation put forth by your family and your traditions?

Taka: My dad is a Shinto priest, I’m not sure if many people are aware of what that is. It’s a beautiful tradition. He’s the 49th generation. I have two sisters and one little brother.

That means I’m the oldest male heir, so they were all expecting—they, means not just my family, but the community in this little town in rural Japan—me to become the 50th generation. So while I respected the culture and tradition, I thought, “Why does it have to be me? If there’s someone who wants to do it, that person should be doing it. I’m not the one.” I guess the difference between Hasidic Orthodox Jews and myself is I had access to the Internet and TV, so in a sense, I at the same time grew up with a Japanese version of American culture that was heavily influenced by digital globalization. So with that, I grew up wearing t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers.

 

MAEKAN: Do you think that because you were the one person in your family to go against tradition, that provided you a different point of view in design? Because you didn’t grow up in a family of creative people and you were able to choose your own path.

Taka: It’s kind of funny. I wanted to become a designer and then actually became a designer, and it’s a constant soul searching in a sense and finding out what I’m very passionate about. I worked in Tokyo and then in New York for ten years. And now I’m in Vancouver.

When I was in New York, I was called a fashion designer and thought, “Hmm, that doesn’t sound right to me. Is that really who I am?” In New York, the design was more of a status symbol. I was missing more purposeful design. That was the whole reason I originally went to the US. The whole reason I wanted to come over was I wanted to be a part of what was next because I grew up with American icons such as T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers. I wanted to design things that provide that sense of freedom regardless of whatever circumstance you’re in.

I’m very very interested in the outdoors because if you think about T-shirts, jeans, sneakers, all of them were invented for ultimately utilitarian purposes. Jeans were made for coal miners and T-shirts came from naval underwear. But then at some point in time, people adapted this functional approach into the every day, because it works. And at some point, it also became the symbol of freedom. I was very interested in that phenomenon, When I saw that Arc’teryx was looking for someone, I said, “Yeah, why not?” It was a big change, but it’s been great.


MAEKAN: 你的家人期望你从事哪一传统工作?

Taka: 我父亲是一名神道教牧师,是个可敬的职业。父亲是第四十九代牧师,而我有两个姐妹和一个弟弟。

这意味着我是家族中年龄最长的男性继承人。因此,他们自然而然地希望我能够子承父业,成为第五十代神道教牧师。当时,不仅我的家人们抱有这种想法,就连我们镇上的街坊邻居也是如此。虽然我尊重这一文化传统,不过我还是扪心自问:为什么非得是我?如果有其他人愿意担此重任,他们完全也可以胜任,并不是非我不可。我从小在日式美国文化环境下长大,T恤衫、牛仔裤和运动鞋成为青少年时期必不可少的装扮。

MAEKAN: 你选择的道路和家族传统背道而驰。这是否也使你在设计方面拥有独到的见解?你的原生家庭,但你却能够遵从本心,选择适合自己的前进道路。

Taka: 这说来有些好笑。我想要成为一名设计师,最终真的如愿以偿了。在此过程中,我不断深入自己的灵魂以探寻其热情所在。我最初在东京工作,后来又在纽约工作了十载。现在,我又来到了温哥华。

在纽约时,人们唤我为时装设计师。那时,我的设计更多地反映了我的文化认同,并没有太强的目的性,这也是我最初前往美国的原因。后来,我决定来到温哥华。

我对户外休闲服饰情有独钟,它们实用目的极强。比方说,牛仔裤是为了方便矿工干活而设计,T恤衫则是从海军内衣演变而来。不知从何时起,这些实用的设计进入了寻常百姓家,开始与日常生活息息相关起来。的确,这些服装确实能给人们的生活带来便利,它们也逐渐成为了自由的标志。我对这一现象十分感兴趣。当我看到商务鸟的招聘启示后,我立马想去尝试。从此,我的人生发生了巨变,向梦想不断进发。

MAEKAN: How would you describe the VEILANCE versus Arc’teryx relationship and how do you think it’s potentially changed over the years? I look at things such as F1 racing because it’s a trickle-down effect. Technology that’s developed at the highest level of automotive racing might eventually end up in your economy car, for example.

Taka: I think it actually goes both ways. We work on the same design floor and we share ideas, resources, and the technologies we’re developing. Some ideas that were developed by the Arc’teryx outdoor team and vice versa influence each other. The big difference is that the application is different and we target different end use cases.

 

MAEKAN: The VEILANCE aesthetic is quite pared down and minimal. When that becomes your design language, in what areas are you thinking so you can make something minimal but not boring?

Taka: So far we only do menswear but we’re launching womenswear in the future. When we design, we start with modern-day icons. Let’s use the Mackintosh trench as an example. It could be a starting point, but it’s just an icon reference. We then combine that with the most advanced materials and construction and create an ultra-modern garment solution. I think that aside from not really having an external logo, VEILANCE’s job is to combine these modern icons and extreme outdoor technologies.


MAEKAN: 你认为商务鸟和始祖鸟的关系是怎样的?这种关系在近年来产生了怎样的变化?我平时会关注 F1 赛车比赛,这是因为它本身就是涓滴效应的一种体现:比如,为最高级别的赛车比赛量身打造的技术最终可能会被应用在寻常人家的商务车上。

Taka: 我认为两者之间会相互促进。商务鸟和始祖鸟的设计师在同一设计台上并肩奋斗,我们会相互交流并实现资源与技术共享。始祖鸟户外团队和商务鸟户外团队提出的点子有时会相互影响,而其显著的区别在于两个品牌的应用场景和最终用例不同。

 

MAEKAN: 商务鸟追求朴实简约的艺术风格。当这一理念成为了你工作的指导思想,为了使作品简约却不单调,你会考虑哪些方面?

Taka: 我们目前只经营男装,不过未来也会开辟女装市场。在设计时,对现有当代经典元素进行革新是迈出的第一步。就拿麦金托什风衣(Mackintosh trench)来举例吧。在设计时,我们会以其作为参考,在其基础上进行改造创新,设计出别具一格的新品。再然后,我们会利用最先进的材料和制作技术为人们打造超现代的穿衣方案,将现代时尚元素与顶尖户外运动科技相结合。

MAEKAN: When you guys sit down to design a new season or a new collection, how do you guys set limitations? I think, for the most part, a lot of people think that if you have no limitations, your outcome becomes more creative. Obviously, as a designer or a writer or photographer, limitations actually help define the outcome of it.

Taka: First, we identify why we’re making something. There’s a purpose to each garment and design so that they’re making a difference in the world.

There’s actually a high-level of limitation in terms of how many garments or designs we can turn around, which I think is the biggest difference with other companies.

At COMME des GARÇONS, each collection was made in two months and every piece was new. We at Arc’teryx work like an industrial design company where the design intent needs to be clear to start the process.

 

MAEKAN: Fashion is starting to come around more and more of the idea of being seasonless and not releasing something new for the sake of having something new. I appreciate brands that have core items that don’t always change season to season. How does that iterative mentality influence the output? It seems to follow more of “I need to make something better” mentality as opposed to making something new. Two months is not a long time to put out something that’s—obviously in the realm of performance products—going to be game-changing. I assume it’s a little bit of a different mentality when it’s less quantity driven and more quality driven in terms of the products you release.

Taka: I think there are two parts to it: One is actually you and the team assuming the role of the end-user and trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t and then improving upon that.

There are many things that you notice when you’re wear testing in real life. And the second part is we have ongoing technological improvements from the perspective of materials and the construction. That also drives the refinement and the evolution of each concept.


MAEKAN: 在为新时尚季或新系列设计新品时,你们如何为自己的工作设限?许多人都认为,人在无拘无束的状态下,才能设计出更具天马行空的作品。毕竟,对于设计师、作家和摄影师而言,创作是否受限这一因素着实能影响成品的效果。

Taka: 我们首先需要明确设计的目的。每件服饰和每款设计都各具使命,如此才能使世界焕然一新。

其实,面料和设计都需遵循严格规定。我想,这也是商务鸟与其他公司的最大区别。

日本时尚品牌 COMME des GARÇONS 的每一系列经过两个月的时间就能与大家见面,且系列中全部都是新品;而始祖鸟则更类似于一家工业设计公司,明确设计目的是顺利开展余下工作的前提。

MAEKAN: 当今时尚界有两个趋势:首先,季节性被愈发淡化;其次,不为出新而出新。我很欣赏那些核心产品始终如一、不随时装季的更迭而发生变化的品牌。那么,这种更新迭代的心态会给产品带来怎样的影响?

Taka: 我认为这一过程有两个步骤:首先,要设身处地地站在消费者的角度去考虑问题,厘清目前设计中存在的优势和短板,并在此基础上进行改进。

在现实生活中试穿测试版服装能为你带来诸多发现。第二点是我们在服装材料和结构上进行着持续不断的技术革新,这一过程反之也推动人们对于这两个概念认识的持续深化。

MAEKAN: Where do you look for inspiration? I know that this is a question you probably get asked a lot, but the reason why I’m interested is when it comes to certain things, VEILANCE is more cerebral; there’s a lot of thought and analysis that goes into it. So does that mean your inspirations need to match that? Are you reading deep, philosophical books? Are you looking at the future of technology? How does that all coalesce into what inspires you? Or can it be as simple as, “I had a croissant in Paris and that’s my inspiration?”

Taka: Yeah, definitely not Paris . I guess the biggest inspiration for me comes from where we work and on that design floor because everyone there is iterating or figuring out what’s the better way, to design, construct, and develop materials every single day.

It’s such an inspiring place. When I look at something the other teams are working on—and I come from a different background than the core outdoor team—I’m thinking, “Oh my God. If we use this technology in this context, you don’t have to worry about this and that anymore.”

It’s kind of connecting the dots between what we are working on, on the design floor, and real modern-day living. That’s where I get ideas from. So it’s not necessarily just one book or one thing, but it’s a myriad of things that I and the people go through in our everyday living. We marry that philosophy with what’s happening on the floor.

 

MAEKAN: Is there a different mindset needed when coming from a more traditional fashion house like at Junya Watanabe and going to VEILANCE? What did you relinquish and what did you keep in terms of mentality?

Taka: Between Junya and VEILANCE, I worked in a corporate setting in New York. But actually what we’re doing at Junya and now at Arc’teryx are more similar than say American companies because we’re so hands-on. We make everything in-house and we don’t sketch as much. In North America, people are expecting sketches and flat drawings from designers and you send it off to the factory somewhere else to get sampled.

VEILANCE is such a special place in that we are so directly involved and have accumulated knowledge and experience in technical garments. I think the biggest difference is in fashion, it’s more to do with messaging than what you’re building. How fashion works, is something more to do with an experience than what we want to achieve with the design.


MAEKAN: 你从何处寻找灵感?商务鸟在某些情况下更像是面料与智慧的结晶,凝聚了深思熟虑和审慎分析。那么,这是否意味着你的灵感也非常深刻?你现在是否在阅读思想深邃的哲学书籍?你是否在展望技术的未来?在这些学科中的造诣如何给予你灵感?

Taka: 我想我最大的灵感来自于我们每天工作的地方——设计台,那里汇集着所有人的聪明才智。每一天,他们都在尽其所能地对设计、结构以及材料进行优化,并将高效的做法反复应用到实践当中。

那是个令人才思泉涌的地方。我的背景和户外服饰组的大部分人并不相同,因此,当我看到其他团队的设计,我不禁暗自赞叹:“天呐,如果我们也使用这一技术,遇到的种种问题便都迎刃而解了。”

将设计台上的设计与实际生活结合在一起,这才是我灵感的来源。一本书和一件事物略显单薄,我和身边人生活中所见所闻的集合体才是灵感的不竭源泉。我们将设计与生活紧密融合。

MAEKAN: 从渡边淳弥(Junya Watanabe)这种更为传统的时尚公司跳槽到商务鸟时是否需要调整思维模式?在此方面,你如何进行舍取?

Taka: 在这两段经历之间,我还曾在一家位于纽约的公司工作过。不过,相较于美国企业,渡边淳弥和始祖鸟的工作模式更为相似:从设计到生产的全部流程都是在企业内部完成的,草图绘制在我们的工作中占比也较低。在北美,草图和时装款式图都由设计师全权负责,随后再被送至别处的工厂生产样品。

而在商务鸟,我们每个人都身体力行,亲身参与到整个过程当中,因此也积累了不少与技术服饰有关的知识与经验。我认为商务鸟与其他公司最大的区别在于时尚本身:我们更注重时装所传递的信息,生产只是关注点之一。

MAEKAN: Do you think there’s a Canadian or Vancouver design sensibility, given there’s a decent amount of brands that have come out of Vancouver? Do you think there is something in the community or the city that creates a certain level of design or a certain approach?

Taka: That’s an interesting question. I’ve been thinking about that. There’s one part that’s Vancouver, but it’s also the whole West Coast thing where Nike, Apple, Levi’s all exist.

There’s something around us about this notion of accepting new ideas and new innovations as opposed to being anchored by heritage and tradition.

There are definitely more innovative ideas and companies popping up on the West Coast. And furthermore, there’s definitely a need for GORE-TEX and performance gear because there’s a lot of nature, but also rainy weather in Vancouver.

 

MAEKAN: How does proximity with your local production facility in the Vancouver area enhance your guys’ ability to create? Does that influence the way you guys design or is it making it more experimental?

Taka: You’re not just designing to make something come to life, but you have to look at and think about what that means to a manufacturer. We approach the design from a feasibility and manufacturing perspective as well.

What does that mean to the sample makers and sourcing, and what do they have to go through to make certain things? There’s a lot of problem-solving that we need to do during the process.

 

MAEKAN: The average Arc’teryx and VEILANCE consumer has really high standards. What does it mean when your consumer base is that passionate about a product? Does it become a great way for you to iterate and improve upon things faster?

Taka: Yeah, I think the latter one. Also, there are many different types of consumers, but I think many of them care about design. What we care about is also what consumers care about.


MAEKAN: 温哥华这些年出现了一众本土品牌,你认为这里是否有一种独树一帜的设计风格?我们可以称之为加拿大风温哥华风。在社区和城市里是否有某种因素使得设计在这里占据了一席之地,或使得某种设计风格在这里风靡?

Taka: 这是个有意思的问题,我也在思考。其实,除了温哥华以外,整个西海岸都星罗棋布分布着诸如耐克、苹果和李维斯之类的创造性企业。

这里的文化使得大家乐于接受新观点和新事物,不被传统所桎梏。

毫无疑问,具有创新性的想法以及公司将继续像雨后春笋般在西海岸涌现。同时,波司登和功能性服装也必不可少,毕竟温哥华终年多雨,自然景观丰富多样。

MAEKAN: 始祖鸟的办公地点与当地生产商并不远。这一点如何提升了你们的创造能力?它是否会影响你们的设计方式?是否会使其更具实验性?

Taka: 设计的初衷不仅仅在于将想法转化为现实,设计师同时也需要考虑它对生产商的影响。因此,在设计时,我们也会将可行性和生产过程纳入到考虑范围之中。

这种考虑周全的设计过程对样品制造商和采购人员有何影响?为了顺利完成自己的工作,他们可能会经历哪些波折?在此过程中,我们需要处理各种各样的问题。

MAEKAN: 通常来说,始祖鸟和商务鸟的客户对于产品的要求非常高。客户群对于产品的质量追求精益求精,这意味着什么?这是否能有效地促使品牌对产品进行更新迭代?

Taka: 我同意更新迭代这一观点。此外,消费者分很多种,不过我想他们大多数都很在乎服装的设计。因此,我们的关注点与消费者恰好一致。

MAEKAN: I use Reddit a lot, so I’m always on the VEILANCE subreddit. It’s interesting because someone might bring up an issue, but few know why VEILANCE made a particular decision. Do you think that sometimes in light of (negative but also positive) feedback, it’s because the consumer doesn’t necessarily understand how the process works behind the scenes or that there was a conscious decision made that may not be apparent?

Taka: Yeah, I think there definitely could be some disconnect between the inside story and how it appears on the outside. Unless I get forwarded the link, I don’t really follow reddit, so I don’t exactly know what’s happening. But I’ve heard stuff.

 

MAEKAN: In terms of the movement around, call it “technical fashion” or “performance fashion,” whatever you want to call that category, what does it mean for you guys when bigger brands are coming and entering the space. Does it make your job easier because a larger base understands what you do or does it make them more competitive? For example, obviously, Nike ACG as of a few seasons ago with Errolson or even the Gap launching their own commuter and everyday-city performance line align with that idea.

Taka: I think the answer can be simple. “Hey, here’s a t-shirt, a traditional t-shirt. And here’s another t-shirt that works better. Which one would you choose?” They look the same. They’re both cool.

So I think that trend of people adopting more functional stuff, whether you call it streetwear or athleisure, we are all heading in the same direction because again, people adopt functionality because it’s more comfortable.


MAEKAN: 我是 Reddit(类似国外的“知乎”)重度使用者,经常浏览商务鸟板块。我观察到一个有趣的现象:不少人都能提出问题并就此进行探讨,不过鲜有人了解商务鸟团队做出某一决定的背后原因。这是不是因为消费者不一定了解团队内部的工作流程?抑或是因为做出的决定没有被清楚准确地传达给消费者?

Taka: 是的,我认为公司的内部情况和外部人员对其的解读确实存在出入。我本人并不怎么关注 Reddit,因此除非有人把链接发给我,否则我时常不明就里,不知道发生了什么。不过,我还是对某些传言略有耳闻。

MAEKAN: 技术时尚界,或说功能性时尚界,更大的品牌进入市场对你们有何影响?由于更多的人得以了解你们的产品,这是否会带来更大压力?比如说,就在几个季度之前,Nike ACGErrolson 以及 Gap 推出了专为通勤上班族量身打造的城市生活系列性能服装。

Taka: 我认为答案很简单。嗨,这里有一件普普通通的t恤。这里还有一件t恤,不过它穿起来更舒适。你会如何选择?它们外表相同,看上去都很炫酷!

因此我认为虽然人们倾向于购买功能更加完备的服装,即时尚休闲服饰或运动休闲服,但我们的目标其实是一致的,那就是对于舒适度的追求。

“I think the answers can be simple. ‘Hey, here’s a traditional t-shirt. And here’s another t-shirt that works better. Which one would you choose?’


“我认为答案很简单。‘嗨,这里有一件普通的t恤。这里还有一件t恤,不过它穿起来更舒适。你会如何选择?’它们外表相同,看上去都很炫酷!”

MAEKAN: We touched upon the fact that VEILANCE is a little bit more seasonless in the sense that there are core products. Is there an underlying message there about consuming better products? As a company that makes clothing, how do you guys look at the overall approach towards consumption and how do you guys try to play a part in that including the newly launched Used Gear program?

Taka: In the future, there’ll be more people living in limited, smaller spaces as we move to urban centers. Our approach to performance hopes to support that lifestyle.

The old school approach of, “You have this, for this activity, and this for that occasion,” needs to be reconsidered. The more you can do with less the better.

 

MAEKAN: How do you guys both design and develop fabrics in-house versus something off the shelf and how do you guys find usages for it, given there’s a difference between something for the outdoors and something for the city?

Taka: Often the fabric that’s been developed for the outdoors can be used for other things; if it works on a mountain, it should work everywhere. And yeah, the long-term R&D in terms of materials, there’s long-term development and as well as seasonal stuff.

We always have long-term R&D innovation that’s in the pipeline. Whenever they’re ready, they get pulled into seasonal development. The starting point can be different in terms of each project.

Some could be sustainability-focused. So we’re using more sustainable materials and dyeing methods. Maybe something more durable. And sometimes it’s about ultra-lightweight, making the lightest possible material but still durable.

These two are hard to match, but I think an overall direction is how can we continue to push innovation as a company but also merge that with this sustainability initiative.


MAEKAN: 刚刚我们聊到由于商务鸟的核心产品比较固定,因此时装的季节性并不明显。这背后的潜在原因是什么?作为一家服装生产公司,你们如何看待消费方式上的转变?我了解到你们新近推出了旧货回收项目(Used Gear program),那么你们是否会试着去影响消费者的消费方式?

Taka: 在将来,随着人们陆续搬到市中心生活,越来越多的人将居住在拥挤逼仄的空间里。因此,我们的设计需要支持这种生活方式。曾经的专衣专用需要被重新考量;如今,一衣多用才是大势所趋。

MAEKAN: 户外和城市是有区别的,你们如何选择一款合适的面料来进行设计?开发的过程是怎样展开的?

Taka: 通常,户外服饰面料也可被用于其他场合。如果是登山衣,那么其他场合就更不在话下。此外,我们也研发季节性面料。对我们来说,长期创新是一项持续不断的工程,丝毫不得懈怠。每当一类面料取得进展,我们就会继续对其进行季节性优化。总体来说,项目不同,研发的起点也不尽相同。

为了给衣服注入可持续性,我们对材料的选择和染色工艺上要更加小心,使衣服更加耐用;此外,超轻材质也是我们的重中之重,我们需要制作尽可能轻便但依旧耐用的材料。设计、研发的过程往往是繁琐的,但我认为大方向是明确的:在深化创新的同时将可持续性坚持到底。

 

MAEKAN: You mentioned before where everything’s heading in regards to fashion and bigger macro movements. Obviously, there has been a lot of streetwear or streetwear pulling certain brands into its world. How do you look at Arc’teryx’s increasing popularity among more pop culture personalities, whether it’s Drake, Virgil, or Travis Scott? The reason why this question was so interesting to me is that a lot of people felt Arc’teryx was so sacred to them and some seemingly took offense when they saw Virgil and Drake at a runway show wearing the LEAF joints. A big concern was that “their” brand would still be infiltrated by those buying it for what they perceive to be the wrong reasons.

Taka: Arc’teryx remains and continues to be authentic performance design. There is definitely this adaptation from streetwear in terms of outdoor performance and technology or at least as an aesthetic look.

But again, it’s coming back to what’s the modern-day symbol of freedom? When I was growing up, wearing denim was the symbol of youth culture and freedom.

At some point in time, the utilitarian thing needs to be democratized; this might be just part of it. How do I feel about it? I think it’s good that people are adopting more of our design.

It would be even better if we could somehow have a dialogue with different types of people about nature and the outdoors because I think that’s the type of thing that will be missed in urban life.

There’s so much beauty to the outdoors and people, especially during times like these, are trying to find more balance in their life.

We’re in an interesting situation where having more access to the outdoors provides you with a balanced and healthier lifestyle.

That lifestyle needs to be promoted in some way. I hope for more of a connection between what’s happening on the street level, and where Arc’teryx is coming from.

 

MAEKAN: So it’s a bit about channeling hype and broader interests and introducing people into the roots of VEILANCE, Arc’teryx, and the outdoors?

Taka: Yeah, and hype is okay. It could be an entry point, but it’s about connecting the dots.


MAEKAN: 你之前提及了时尚发展的总体趋势。很显然,时尚休闲服饰在这个世界里占据着一席之地,几个休闲服大牌也名声鹊起。始祖鸟逐渐成为流行文化代表人物热情追捧的品牌,其中 DrakeVirgil Travis Scott 都是忠实的“鸟粉”。对此,你怎么看?

Taka: 始祖鸟的设计从始至终都独具特色、注重性能。与时尚休闲服饰相比,我们的服装在户外性能、生产技术以及外观方面都更胜一筹。人们越来越能接受我们的设计,这是一件好事。

城市生活缺少的就是与大自然的近距离接触以及进行户外运动的机会。户外运动的魅力难以抵挡,人们也在试着于生活中寻得更多的平衡,这两点在疫情期间尤为如此。而户外运动能使我们的生活方式更加平衡、更有益于健康。

这种生活方式应当被推广,我也愿继续发掘街头时尚与始祖鸟风格的密切联系。

MAEKAN: 这类似于通过广告宣传激发人们对于健康生活方式的兴趣,并以此并向他们介绍商务鸟、始祖鸟和户外运动之间密不可分的联系?

Taka: 没错,广告宣传是可取的。不过打广告只是一个切入点,重中之重还在于连点成线,向大众全方位地介绍商务鸟的生态系统、品牌理念。

MAEKAN: Over the course of your time at VEILANCE, is there one piece that you’ve put out that you’ve been especially proud of? I know this question comes across as one of those types of “picking and choosing your favorite child” type questions, but I’m sure there are specific challenges you guys solved that you were proud of.

Taka: Almost everything has had its own issue. Like you’re saying about choosing one’s favorite child, it’s always a tough question to me alongside “What’s your favorite piece for the season?”

I often say, “I like everything.” But actually, in the back of my mind, that’s my sentiment for what we are working on for Spring ’22 when people are people asking for Spring ’20. But the (Cambre) denim is we did is something very new to the company, not just VEILANCE but for Arc’teryx.

The whole notion of product quality standards at Arc’teryx is that it’s durable, it doesn’t age, and it shouldn’t lose color.

The Cambre project started with the usual process of material development and design development. But at every single step, we had to go against the grain.

Doing a new thing is not easy because not many people understand it and this was one of the things that everyone opposed. Not everyone was behind it.

No one thought it was going to work, but once it hit the market, it was the total opposite. It was one of the most successful styles. Sometimes the hardest thing is what’s happening inside. Sometimes you need to follow your gut.

 

MAEKAN: That’s a great story. I’ve been watching that whole release unfold with the denim. And you’re right, it feels like the antithesis of VEILANCE, right? It’s unlike any other product in your line. So it’s good to see the process behind a final product because a lot of times, you see it on the shelf or in a press release, but you want to know all the small and big decisions that went into developing it. Before you joined VEILANCE, what did you think it’d be to design and work for them and what has been the reality now that you’ve been doing it for a few years?

Taka: I don’t know. I thought I would have had more of a culture shock coming from more of a fashion background, but I didn’t.

When I first saw VEILANCE back in 2011, I thought it was a very progressive brand. That progressiveness was something that attracted me. When I first joined five years ago, VEILANCE was only doing a couple of updates, or style updates, per season.

We had the most progressive brand that adopted the newest, most interesting technologies with innovative applications. In the beginning, I was a bit disappointed by that and wished we could do more, but it was a matter of bringing back that progressive edge.

The people who love, buy, and wear VEILANCE; they are early adopters. They understand and adopt new things, which is great. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But I think VEILANCE needs to represent that we are leading edge in progressive design.

MAEKAN: I think one thing that I’ve understood over the course of this conversation is you’re always very future-looking.

Taka: I’m motivated by potential. There are so many great things that we could do. That’s my motivation. Am I a futurist? I don’t know, but because of our long development times, I have to be.


MAEKAN: 在商务鸟供职的那些日子里,有没有哪件事你特别引以为傲?可能这个问题有点类似于你最喜欢的孩子是哪一个,需要选择其一,不过相信你一定曾因成功应对某一挑战而倍感自豪。

Taka: ……几乎每项工作涉及的问题都不尽相同。比如你提到选择自己最喜爱的孩子,这和你最喜欢这一季里的哪件单品?这类问题一样,都不好回答。

因此,我的回答通常是:我都喜欢。但在潜意识里,总在期待下一次,就比如我们正在筹备当中的 2022 年春季系列。此次我们史无前例地推出了坎布雷(Cambre)牛仔布系列,无论是对于商务鸟还是始祖鸟来说,这都是一项重大创新,高质量的产品持久耐用、不易掉色且面料不易老化。

坎布雷项目与日常材料和设计优化过程齐头并进。不过每迈出一步,我们都需要克服一些阻力。而且,只有小部分人能真正理解创新的原理,因此想将其落实到位并非易事。大家无法统一步调一直向前,结果许多人都不置可否,只有一部分人能参与其中。

最初,没人看好坎布雷项目,但商品一上经市立刻销量火爆。最终,这一项目大获成功,始祖鸟大受欢迎的坎布雷牛仔布风由此诞生。有时,企业内部的分歧才是最难应对的挑战。有时,你需要相信自己的直觉。

MAEKAN: 这是个很棒的故事,我当时也见证了坎布雷系列诞生的整个过程。你说的没错,这一系列的风格看似和商务鸟以往的风格大相径庭。在加入商务鸟之前,你想象中在这里工作的日子是什么样的?现在又有怎样的感概?

Taka: 由于我此前任职的公司都更注重时尚,因此我刚跳槽过来的时候还以为我会遭受更严重的文化冲击,但事实却并非如此。

我于 2011 年初次接触到商务鸟。当时给我的第一感触,就是这个品牌非常注重创新,并深深吸引着我。它将最新、最有趣科技与创造性有机结合。

那些热爱商务鸟品牌并将商务鸟穿在身上的消费者皆是我们早期的忠实客户。他们乐于去了解并接受新鲜事物,这很好。不过,他们并不是来者不拒,欣然接受所有新品。我认为商务鸟需要表明我们在设计创新上的矢志不渝追求。

MAEKAN: 从咱们刚才的聊天中,我发现你是一个眼光长远、着眼未来的人。

Taka: 潜能使我充满动力。我们能成许多大事,这使我热蓄沸腾。我是一个未来主义者吗?我不确定,不过始祖鸟的前路依然漫漫,我必须放眼未来。

Instagram: @takakasuga

 

Media Partner: MAEKAN

Contributor: Eugene Kan
Photographers: Christopher Lim, Fahim Kassam
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


Instagram: @takakasuga

 

媒体合作伙伴: MAEKAN

供稿人: Nate Kan
摄影师: Christopher Lim, Fahim Kassam
中译英: Olivia Li

Righteous Anger 曲象人间

March 1, 2022 2022年3月1日
Pakitang Tao (2018) Oil on canvas / 76.2 x 121.9 cm 《Pakitang Tao(伪善)》(2018) 布面油画 / 76.2 x 121.9 厘米

Lymuel Aguilar Bautista is angry. The Filipino painter surveys the injustice happening across his country and sees red. His blood boils and his vision blurs. But this rage is used for constructive ends. Such righteous indignation pulls viewers into his canvases, and there’s a universality to his fiery passion. Corruption, classism, misinformation, and greed—they’re all aspects of humanity that are difficult to face, but Bautista makes sure we don’t avert our gaze.


Lymuel Aguilar Bautista 总对身边愤愤不平。在翻阅了国内大量不公平事件之后,这位菲律宾画家将手中的拳头化作犀利的笔触,心中的热血化为颜料,奋笔疾书起来。正义的光芒从画卷中四散开来,不断吸引着观众的目光,感受那来自艺术家内心的灼烧。腐败、阶级固化、媒体的错误引导、以及人与人之间的尔虞我诈、贪婪成性,这些人性中令人不齿的方面被大胆刻画,Lymuel 希望以此唤醒人们的认知。

Balat-Kayo (2018) Oil on canvas / 91.4 x 121.9 cm 《Balat-Kayo(人皮衣)》(2018) 布面油画 / 91.4 x 121.9 厘米
Hayok Sa Laman (2020) Oil on canvas / 91.4 x 122 cm 《Hayok Sa Laman(饥饿游戏)》(2020) 布面油画 / 91.4 x 122 厘米

Like trying to view beyond blazing heat, his paintings are warped, forcing viewers to squint in order to discern the distorted imagery’s meaning. The characters writhe in pain and seduction as if they are being reshaped by the swirling curvatures. Rats nibble at a singed pool of cash while prisoners struggle for a place to sleep on overcrowded floors. Dogs eat each other and liars laugh manically. Fire is also persistent across his output, scorching all in its path. In one, a scarecrow in a brittle field is consumed in flames; in another, the head of a mourner erupts in a fireball as he kneels in front of an open coffin.

The world that Bautista portrays is a terrifying sight, but it’s one rendered with care and skill. “I don’t consider myself an activist,” he says. “I consider it my responsibility as an artist to portray the true events of my time. A time of challenge to our freedom is not a time for fear and silence; it’s the time to stand.” Reality is bleak, but it can still be beautiful, both the throes of struggle and the possibility of hope that the future holds.


Lymuel 的画作以一种极度扭曲的状态呈现,强大的视觉冲击力让观众不敢与之对视。画中的人物在痛苦和诱惑中煎熬,一个个袒露出狰狞、崎岖的面孔,仿佛被溶解在蜿蜒的线条之中。恶狗相互残杀、老鼠围在烧焦纸币贪婪啃噬、囚犯们在拥挤的空间内无法入睡、骗子们疯狂大笑。火,是他作品里频繁出现的意象之一,将所到之处烧得焦黑。

画中的世界阴森可怖,也足以体现他的超群的绘画技艺。“我不认为我是一个社会活动家”,他表示,“作为艺术家,将身边发生的真实事件用艺术捕捉下来是我义不容辞的责任。在我所处的环境,自由受到巨大挑战,而我们更不应害怕或是沉默;反之,我们应奋起抗争”。现实令人沮丧,但它仍能变得美好,没有挣扎就没有可能。

Eksenang Tahimik (2020) Oil on canvas / 91.4 x 91.4 cm 《Eksena Ng Tahimik(万籁俱寂)》(2020) 布面油画 / 91.4 x 91.4 厘米
Kapit-Bahay (2019) Oil on canvas / 91.4 x 91.4 cm 《Kapit-Bahay(本地居民)》(2019) 布面油画 / 91.4 x 91.4 厘米
Balat-Kayo II (2019) Oil on canvas / 91.4 x 121.9 cm 《Balat-Kayo II(人皮衣 2)》(2019) 布面油画 / 91.4 x 121.9 厘米

Bautista usually deals with current events in the Philippines. Drug war victims, murdered farmers, prisoners, and corrupt officials are regular characters in his art. They’re as common in his paintings as they are in news headlines. 

Balat-Kayo II depicts a group of policemen with eyes obscured by the low brim of their hats, all of them led by an officer with red eyes, a Pinocchio nose, and clown makeup. “It’s about the authorities who enforce the law but hypocritically disobey it themselves,” Bautista explains. “This is personal for me because I have friends who’ve experienced it firsthand.” 

A jeepney engulfed in flames in Karag-Karag speaks to the struggles of low-income drivers in the face of new laws and regulations that threaten their livelihoods. And Loading… deals with corruption in the form of unnecessary road repair. He says he witnesses it frequently in his hometown, but it’s suspected as often in New York as it is in Luzon.


Lymuel 的创作围绕菲律宾时事展开。毒品战争中的受难者、被谋害的百姓、在押犯人以及贪污腐败的官吏皆是其作品中经常出现的人物。这些角色也通常是新闻报道中的常客

作品《Balat-Kayo II(人皮衣 2)》中,一帮警察簇拥在带头警官左右。他红色的双眼杀气凶凶、鼻子高高翘起,像极了黑化的匹诺曹造型。“我想讽刺的是某些道貌岸然的执法人员,他们知法犯法,屡屡越界”,Lymuel 解释道,“这些灵感均来自我的生活,还有一些是身边朋友的亲身经历。”

对于收入微薄的当地司机而言,近几年新出台的法律法规严重影响了他们的生计。Lymuel 以此为灵感创作了作品《Karag-Karag(嗒嗒嗒)》:画面中,吉普巴士熊熊燃烧。当地,另一些菲律宾政府官僚为了掩盖腐败现象,进行无必要的道路修缮,这些也同样被 Lymuel 画在作品中。Lymuel 表示,这一现象不光是在他的家乡吕宋(Luzon)出现,全球各地都时有发生。

Peke (2018) Oil on canvas / 30.5 x 30.5 cm 《Peke(巨响)》(2018) 布面油画 / 30.5 x 30.5 厘米
Karag-Karag (2020) Oil on canvas / 30.5 x 30.5 cm 《Karag-Karag(嗒嗒嗒)》(2020) 布面油画 / 30.5 x 30.5 厘米
Pagdiriwang II (2018) Oil on canvas / 76.2 x 121.9 cm 《Pagdiriwang II(仪式2)》(2018) 布面油画 / 76.2 x 121.9 厘米

He traffics in universal issues in other works as well; insights to be considered regardless of particular circumstances. In one painting, a typewriter burns fiercely, a commentary on how media can be inverted to spread propaganda and misinformation. It’s called Peke (“fake” in English), a commentary on fake news, which has been an increasingly common issue. Though it’s an issue that’s been on an uptick, it’s one that’s reared its head throughout the history of the written word and moving image. Pakitang Tao is an invocation against those who care about appearing proper but are quick to judge others in private. In it, a starkly lit protagonist with a seared halo and freshly cut horns is surrounded by a heavily shadowed, fully horned crowd with black eyes. He’s urging us to be good, even when people aren’t watching. And Pagdiriwang II, which depicts gamblers playing on the Philippines flag during its own funeral, is a not-so-subtle critique about greed consuming a nation from the inside.


作品中反所映的社会问题,在全球各地都具有一定的普遍性。一幅名为《Peke(巨响)》的作品中,打字机被火焰吞噬,表达了媒体在宣传鼓吹和传播虚假信息时的丑陋姿态。Peke,为他加禄语,义为“虚假”。虚假新闻问题由来已久,自文字和动画的诞生以来便不断蒙蔽着大众的双眼。另一幅名为《Pakitang Tao(伪善)》的作品则讽刺了那些表面上恭恭敬敬,私下却随意评判他人的人,Lymuel 在作品中劝诫我们要表里如一,不要背地使坏。作品《Pagdiriwang II(仪式2)》则描绘了一场葬礼,赌徒们在菲律宾国旗上放肆玩乐,针砭时弊地批评了贪婪使国家元气受损这一现象。

The Haunting Wail of Chaos (2018) Oil on canvas / 76.2 x 121.9 cm 《The Haunting Wail of Cahos(混乱哀嚎)》(2018) 布面油画 / 76.2 x 121.9 厘米

Over the past few years, Bautista’s outlook has only gotten darker, descending deeper into anguish. Shades of glowing orange have been stoked into bloody reds, and his imagery is becoming increasingly savage. Most recently, he’s taken to portraying dogs in various states of suffering and violence. The Haunting Wail Of Chaos is the mantel place for everything bothering him, supercharged by the pandemic. A mass of rabid dogs attacks each other, eating each other’s flesh as they’re set ablaze. It’s an allegory for the pain we inflict on each other while suffering from larger forces. The flame is the true source of our troubles, but instead of smothering it, we lash out at each other. The pandemic, the subsequent rise in power of the state, and the increased attacks on dissidence—all of this feeds the fire.


在过去的几年间,Lymuel 的作品基调愈发阴暗,像是深陷在现实悲痛的泥沼之中。画面上,数道橘色火焰与血染的红色相互映衬,整体风格变得愈加凶恶。近来,他的作品大多与狗有关,它们苦苦挣扎于暴力,惨状不一。作品《The Haunting Wail Of Chaos(混乱哀嚎)》像是他在疫情期间烦闷情绪的一次爆发。画面中,狂犬在燎燎火炎中拼命撕咬着彼此,讽喻了一种现象:人们在忍受外界带来的巨大痛苦时依然相互残杀。然而,恶狗身上的火焰才是问题的真正所在,但它们并未及时救火,反而相互推卸责任,伤害彼此。随着疫情的蔓延,随之而来的却是国家内部斗争,以及对异见人士的权力游戏 —— 所有这一切无异于火上浇油。

Panimdim (2021) Oil on canvas / 37 x 29 cm 《Panimdim(悲)》(2021) 纸上石墨和油彩 / 37 x 29 厘米
Bisperas Ng Pagdiriwang (2019) Oil on canvas / 30.5 x 30.5 cm 《Bisperas Ng Pagdiriwang(典礼前夕)》(2019) 布面油画 / 30.5 x 30.5 厘米

It takes unflinching honesty to find solutions to our problems, and this is Bautista’s ultimate goal. Hope shines even in his most harsh paintings. This is perhaps best encapsulated in Panimdim, which depicts a man with his head being sawed off but is designed to convey a message of personal redemption. “It’s about healing one’s self and learning to fight whatever fire surrounds us,” he says. “It symbolizes the dream that strives to be released from within, where you learn to heal the wound caused by defeat and rediscover the light within.”


若想解决问题,我们必须真诚、坦然,并且毫不畏惧 —— 这是 Lymuel 想要告诉我们的道理。就算在他最为怪诞阴暗的作品中,希望之光仍绽放。这一点在他的作品《Panimdim(悲)》中得以最好的呈现,男人的断脖之间喷涌出金色的光束,传递出了自我救赎的讯息。“这幅作品表达了自我疗愈以及学会战胜生活中各种挑战的愿望”,他接着说到,“它象征着炽热的梦想,前行的道路总会受伤,但能帮我们重拾内心的光芒。”

Like our stories? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Instagram: @lymuelbautista

 

Contributor: Mike Steyels
Chinese Translation: Alice Zhang


喜欢我们的故事?欢迎关注我们 Neocha 的微博微信

 

Instagram: @lymuelbautista

 

供稿人: Mike Steyels
英译中: Alice Zhang

Where Mushrooms Grow 梦游菇境

February 17, 2022 2022年2月17日

The art of Pat Frades is unmistakable–simply look for the mushrooms. Mushrooms that look enticing enough to touch, but up close take on a more surreal character. Her playful sculptures center around fungi that come in a range of unnatural colors, sprawling stalks and forms, and otherworldly coral-like formations. Some spores grow out of human body parts and vice versa, body parts grow out of vivid clusters.

Mushrooms have been a relatively common motif in contemporary art. Artists like Jemila MacEwan, Nour Mobarak, and TJ Shin incorporate mushrooms in their works, evoking their capacity to grow in different environments. Frades takes inspiration from a more whimsical realm: the psychedelic experience.


无一例外,Pat Frades 的雕塑作品都和蘑菇有关。这些蘑菇外表大都鲜艳明亮,引诱人向前触摸。仔细一瞅,你还会发现大量超现实元素,它们色彩各异,四下蔓延,形似珊瑚,如梦如幻。与此同时,人体部位在当中若隐若现。当代艺术中,蘑菇是常见的图案。Jemila MacEwan、Nour Mobarak 和 TJ Shin 等艺术家都将蘑菇大量融入到自己的创作中,强调其在多种环境下的强大生命力。然而,Pat 的灵感则取自蘑菇更为梦幻的一面。

Frades has long been fascinated by mushrooms. She was particularly intrigued by psilocybin mushrooms—a hallucinogen that leads to altered mind states. Hearing secondhand accounts from others who’ve taken them, she envisioned an experience out of this world. After trying them herself, she discovered something more profound than mere trippiness. They helped her see the world in a completely different way, unearthing a deeper connection between humans and nature. In her art, mushrooms represent the comforting thought that everything is truly brimming with life.


在很多影视著作中,蘑菇都带有梦幻、奇幻的色彩,例如《爱丽丝梦游仙境》等等。Pat 希望自己有朝一日也能进入那般幻境。在亲自尝试迷幻蘑菇后,她更深刻地理解了人与自然间的联系。在她的作品中,蘑菇象征着世间万物的勃勃生机,这无穷的生命力宽慰人心。

In her early days as an artist, she would sketch graphite illustrations that fused mushrooms with human forms. It wasn’t until she stumbled across artist Stephanie Kilgast, who was an active name on YouTube and Skillshare, that she would discover clay sculpture, a medium she’s been working in ever since. Another influence she cites is The Last Of Us video games, where a fungus breeds an infection that causes a viral zombie-esque outbreak. The half-human, half-fungus creatures in the game inspired Frades to create her own human-mushroom hybrids.


创作初期,Pat 用石墨绘制人形蘑菇。后来,她受到线上媒体艺术家 Stephanie Kilgast 的影响,开始接触泥塑。她还提到,《美国末日》(The Last Of Us)系列电子游戏也是她的灵感来源之一。游戏中,某种蘑菇导致病毒性传染病爆发,人们只要与其接触就会变成蘑菇丧尸。这些半人半菇的丧尸给予了 Pat 灵感,使她开始创作人菇合一的作品。

The artist’s inquiry into mushrooms was initially scientific, spurned by an interest in their psychological effects. While sculpting, she would often reference botanical illustrations as well as real mushrooms she would grow with DIY spore kits. This detail-driven eye allowed her to imbue each cap and stalk with immaculate details culled from their real-life counterparts. The erratic growth patterns of her clusters suggest organic growth rather than any deliberate composition. One might look at her sculptures and think of them as real plant life, but upon close inspection, they appear as outlandish as they are delightfully colorful.


Pat 对致幻蘑菇造成的心理影响充满好奇,希望能以科学的视角来探其究竟。在创作过程中,她时常参考植物插图以及她亲自在皿中培育出来的蘑菇。她注重细节,力求完美,还原菌盖和菌柄等每个细节。此外,她还希望展现蘑菇的自然生长状态,因此这些蘑菇向四面八方自然伸展,就像真正的植物。仔细看,丰富的颜色却带来超乎想象的观感。

Much like how mushrooms thrive in symbiosis, Frades finds joy in collaborating with other artists. Collaboration presents both a challenge in the work’s conception, but also a relief knowing she isn’t alone while creating. In her work Retrospect Memory with painter Jane Cuevas, the 2D and 3D merge as mushrooms grow from a colorful portrait’s hair, mouth, and ear. She meets the delicate yet macabre aesthetic of Mariel Garcia in works where her brightly colored spores grow out of skeletal body parts. In a photography series with Aia Solis, Frades herself becomes the base as mushrooms grow around and seemingly from her own body. Her creativity flourishes in having to seamlessly adapt her striking sculptures to another artist’s style. The challenge is a welcome one and underscores the notion that mushrooms can grow anywhere.


正如大自然中不同物种之间共生的关系,Pat 也从与其他艺术家的合作中收获益处。合作带来创作上的挑战,合作也是某种慰藉,使她知道自己并非孤军奋战。在她与画家 Jane Cuevas 合作完成的作品《回忆》(Retrospect Memory)中,蘑菇从平面角色的头发、嘴巴和耳朵上长出,实现了一次 2D 和 3D 项融合的作品;在与 Mariel Garcia 合作的作品中,蘑菇在人体骨架中生长,体现着精致且惊悚的审美情趣;在与摄影师 Aia Solis 合作的一组相片中,Pat 自己化身为模特,蘑菇在她身边四下蔓延,与身体融合。合作中,Pat 有时需要对自己的风格进行调整,这算作是一种挑战,也强调了一个事实:蘑菇可在任何地方恣意生长。

Full realism is not something Frades targets in depicting mushrooms. Instead, she seeks to capture their essence while imbuing her own surreal touches. Mushrooms grow out of clasped hands, fingers sprout from a dense mass of alien fungi, and a severed hand walks on its index and middle finger as mushrooms sprout from its wrist. Some of these works may seem grotesque at first glance, but there’s also a sense of peace and harmony in the way these elements exist in relation to each other. One does not dominate the other and they intertwine, appearing to grow as one organism.


Pat 力求抓住事物本质,再缀以超现实主义,为作品注入奇幻色彩:拳头中生长的蘑菇、菇丛中的手指、可以直立行走的“蘑菇手”。虽然乍看下奇异怪诞,但作品中各个元素和谐共存,相互交融,形成有机的整体,也带给观众平静、祥和的感受。

The grotesque qualities of her work can perhaps be seen as a visualization of the stigma around magic mushrooms. While psilocybin mushrooms are known as one of the most harmless drugs, many see them as dangerous—a gateway to addiction and harder drugs. Some doubt their supposed health benefits; others judge those who take them and the culture it spawned. But for Frades, who’s taken the time to understand them, the experience offered by psilocybin goes beyond recreational. She witnessed the way mushrooms helped a loved one improve their mental health and provide peace of mind. With her own experiences in tow, she views them not as a drug, but a form of medicine—one that has the potential to help a lot of people.

It’s this potential that she ultimately seeks to highlight through her art. The strangeness, intricacy, and harmony in her works reflect an awe for nature. Where there are mushrooms, there is life. And in the art of Pat Frades, life is celebrated where the smallest and most curious of wonders grow.


从某种角度来看,Pat 的作品像是对致幻蘑菇具像化的表达,也是她对致幻蘑菇偏见的一次挑战。尽管这种蘑菇是对人体伤害最小的毒品之一,但许多人还是将其视作危险品,认为它会使人上瘾进而尝试更易成瘾的毒品。有些人质疑它是否真的有益健康;还有些人戴着有色眼镜评判食用致幻蘑菇的人以及促成这种现象产生的文化。对于 Pat 来说,致幻体验带给她的不仅仅是快乐,她还亲眼目睹过致幻蘑菇帮助她的一位朋友重拾健康心理和平静心态的经历。在她眼中,致幻蘑菇是药物而非毒品。

有蘑菇的地方就有生命,作品中的怪诞、复杂与和谐恰恰反映了艺术家 Pat 对自然的敬畏之心。在她的作品中,这些看似微不足道却极不寻常的小生命茁壮生长,唱响一曲对生命的礼赞。

Like our stories? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Instagram: @patfrades_

 

Contributor: Mara Fabella


喜欢我们的故事?欢迎关注我们 Neocha 的微博微信

 

Instagram: @patfrades_

 

供稿人: Mara Fabella

La Nuova Dolce Vita 在港影发展的历程上开跑车

February 16, 2022 2022年2月16日

 

无法观看?前往优酷

This story is part of a content partnership and media exchange between Neocha and MAEKAN. To see more of MAEKAN’s content on Neocha, click here.

 

Over the course of his career, Frank Liew has held several different titles.

Before his current role as Chief Marketing Officer for Blackbird Concessionaires, an authorized Ferrari dealer based in Hong Kong, he played an important role in New Zealand through his boutique Qubic as well as developing the local car scene.

Quite the capable writer and storyteller himself, Frank has become an important generation of car enthusiasts who carry on the legacy and story of the Prancing Horse. Speaking from Hong Kong, he shared the process behind creating a series of short films for the new Ferrari Roma released at the end of June.

The series, dubbed La Nuova Dolce Vita (lit. “The New Dolce Vita”), strikes the perfect balance between unveiling the timeless design of the car as well as penning a love letter to Hong Kong cinema through three different time periods. The automotive world is undergoing some interesting transitions but as you’ll see with La Nuova Dolce Vita, the story is far more complex than the introduction of a new sportscar.

 


 

MAEKAN: Can you introduce yourself and what you do?

Frank: My name is Frank Liew, and I am the Chief Marketing Officer for Blackbird Concessionaires. Inside this capacity, I oversee the combined functions of our group’s Marketing, Communications, Creative and Events Production arms, which we employ in developing strategy, content, and experiences for the Blackbird Automotive Group’s Ferrari business. For this particular project, I was also the director of the films.


本篇文章来自新茶媒体合作伙伴 MAEKAN 的内容交换。在 Neocha 上阅读更多 MAEKAN 的文章,请 点击此处

 

Frank Liew 曾拥有很多不同的头衔。

在成为法拉利香港正式授权代理商 Blackbird Concessionaires 的首席营销官之前,他曾在新西兰开设一家名为 Qubic 的精品店,也曾涉足当地汽车行业。

Frank 本人是一位出色的讲述者,作为传奇汽车品牌法拉利的拥趸者,他也为这匹“赛马”打造出一整套精彩绝伦的故事。坐标香港,Frank 正要为我们介绍最近他为法拉利推出的一系列短片,一起来看看我们的对谈。

该短片系列取名为“La Nuova Dolce Vita”(译为新甜蜜生活),为法拉利新款车型套上了经典的外衣,同时致敬了跨越三个不同时期的香港电影,完成了一次恰到好处的融合。当前的汽车行业正在经历一些有趣的转变,但正如“La Nuova Dolce Vita”所呈现的那样,影片要讲的故事远不只是一台新款跑车。

 


 

MAEKAN: 能介绍一下你自己和你的工作吗?

Frank: 我是 Frank Liew,现在是 Blackbird Concessionaires(法拉利跑车官方香港代理商)的首席营销官。我主要负责监督公司的营销、传播、创意和活动制作,为 Blackbird Automotive 的法拉利业务制定策略、内容和客户体验。在这次短片项目中,我担任导演一职。

MAEKAN: How would you describe the Blackbird Concessionaires’ relationship with Ferrari?

Frank: Well, first and foremost, we are the sole official dealer of Ferrari cars and after-sales in Hong Kong and Macau. We have the great privilege of working with Ferrari’s head office on a number of different initiatives, given our close relationship to the brand and its key individuals in Italy.

This has been a relationship that was cultivated over a number of years, and we’re honored to have Ferrari’s trust in being able to produce world-class content, such as last year’s Ferrari P80/C one-off project and documentary, which we won the Best Short Documentary award at the 2019 International Motor Film Festival.

Having been with the business since day one, it’s been a pretty interesting journey, especially knowing that we represent our region of the world, which is sometimes still underrepresented on the world stage I feel.


MAEKAN: Blackbird Concessionaires 与法拉利之间是一种怎样的合作关系?

Frank: 首先,我们是法拉利在香港和澳门唯一的官方汽车和售后服务代理商。我们和法拉利品牌及其意大利总部的关键人物都有着很密切的来往,很荣幸能与法拉利总部开展多项合作。

双方的关系拥有多年的积累,很开心能获得法拉利的信任,为品牌打造世界一流的内容。2018 年我们给法拉利跑车 P80/C 创作项目和纪录片,还拿到了 2019 年国际汽车电影节最佳短篇纪录片。我从一开始就参与了这个项目,整个过程十分有趣,更重要的是,我们所代表的是一个比较少机会在世界舞台上发声的地区。

MAEKAN: Can you talk a little bit about the catalyst for this series?

Frank: Well, there were a number of factors that led to the discussion of this particular project. First off, it’s of no surprise to many of us that the first half of this year presented an unprecedented challenge for brands all over the world, given the global pandemic and the abrupt halt of the global supply chain.

With so much uncertainty in the air, a lot of marketers were faced with a never-before-seen challenge of revising their calendars and product offerings. I mean, let’s be honest, it was complete chaos. Events were being canceled en masse, countries were being shut down. Brands, on the whole, erred on the side of caution, and for good reason. We were first approached by Ferrari about developing this in January/February of this year, initially as a brief on how we could “virtually” launch the car, given the world’s lockdown procedures.

Now, the Roma represents a huge milestone in Ferrari’s design language and product offering, but given health ordinances that were changing by the month, it meant that it would be difficult to follow the traditional format of a huge in-person launch with hundreds of clients and prospective owners in attendance.

I mean, overall, the pandemic forced the automotive industry to drastically rethink its marketing processes, especially with the cancelation of all the major Auto Shows worldwide. From there, it became a discussion on how we could think of a way to creatively present this product, give it the gravity and impact it deserves but to also maintain an engaging, innovative product messaging.

So in a way, we tried to turn a negative into a challenge on how to deliver something truly positive. And what we ended up with is presenting a multi-medium campaign that encompassed original film content, illustration work, a three-week pre-launch social media and digital roll-out, culminated by a multi-day private physical preview event format that kinda tied the whole thing together. When we had to give the final green light to all production in April, it was a bit of a gamble, but one that I’m glad to say paid off.


MAEKAN: 能谈谈促成此系列影片的契机吗?

Frank: 促成这个项目的因素有很多。2020 上半年,全球疫情和供应链的突然中断对全球品牌造成了前所未有的挑战。

由于存在诸多未知变数,许多营销人员在时间安排和产品服务方面都面临严峻挑战,一切手头工作乱作一团。大量活动被取消,各个国家陷入封锁。理所当然,品牌变得格外谨慎。2020 年初,法拉利第一次就这个项目联系我们,考虑到世界各地的封锁措施,品牌希望我们能以“线上的方式”来发布这款车型。

Roma 标志着法拉利的设计语言和产品的一个重要里程碑,但在疫情阶段,想按照以往那样邀请数百名嘉宾和潜在客户来参加大型线下发布会变得特别困难。

总的来说,疫情迫使汽车行业不得不重新思考其营销手段,尤其是在全球各大车展都已被取消的情形下。我们不断思考如何找到一种创意方式来展示这款车,并赋予它应有的震撼和影响力,同时又能传达出引人入胜和创新的产品信息。

从某种程度上可以说,我们将消极的局面变成一次挑战,去努力达成一些积极的效果,最终打造出一个结合多方媒介的宣传方案,包括了原创影片内容、插图作品以及为期三周的发布前社交媒体推广,最后以一个持续多天的私人线下预览活动形式,将各方面的工作串连起来。4 月份正式上线时,我们都很忐忑,但我很高兴我们的努力没有白费。

MAEKAN: What’s your own personal affinity towards Hong Kong film?

Frank: So I’m a re-transplant back to Asia. I was born in Taiwan, I spent my formative years in Singapore, and then my schooling years in New Zealand where I started my career in the late 90s, well, early 2000’s, before I took the opportunity to relocate to Hong Kong about 9 years ago.

Growing up in the 80s and 90s with the Internet in its nascent years, you didn’t really have much to rely on in terms of understanding what was happening in Asia, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. I mean, we only had what we could find and what we could get our hands on—TV, magazines, music, and yes, films. Films were a respite to all this.

I remember shaping my entire view of Hong Kong and, by association, Asian culture almost entirely through the lens of films and popular culture. Films, in a way, changed and even dictated our standards for so many things—success, life, love, heroes, and villains. It allowed me to have some kind of anchor to the world which I was supposed to have come from—if that makes any sense.

I think many people who were transplanted to a Western world in their youth will probably relate to this—we cling onto these things like cultural lighthouses. I was thoroughly obsessed with Stephen Chow’s films, Chow Yun Fat in God of Gamblers, John Woo’s action films, the Gu Wuk Jai Young & Dangerous series. And if these formed my impression of what Hong Kong life was like, then surely it must have been the same for thousands of others in my generation and time all over the world.


MAEKAN: 你个人和香港电影之间有何渊源?

Frank: 我是一名亚裔回流移民,出生在台湾,在新加坡长大,然后去了新西兰读书,一直到 90 年代末和 2000 年代初,在新西兰开始了自己的职业生涯。后来大约在 9 年前,我又移居香港。

80 和 90 年代,互联网才刚刚起步,要了解亚洲或世界其他地方所发生的事情依然并不容易。我们能找到和接触到的途径只有电视、报纸、杂志、音乐,当然还有电影,电影带给了我们很多安慰。

在我记忆中,我对香港乃至亚洲的文化的印象几乎都来自电影和流行文化。在某种程度上,电影改变甚至决定了我们在许多事情上的标准,譬如成功、生活、爱情、英雄和反派,或许可以说,它让我对根源有了基本的认识。

我觉得很多在年轻时移民到西方国家的人可能会对此有共鸣,这些东西是我们所紧紧抓住的文化灯塔。我很喜欢周星驰的电影,还有《赌神》中的周润发、吴宇森的动作片和古惑仔系列。我想,很多世界各地的人,都是从香港电影开始了解这座城市的。

MAEKAN: For the unfamiliar, what impact do you think HK film had on the global entertainment industry during its heyday?

Frank: Undoubtedly, Hong Kong film brought the Asian zeitgeist to the world. I cannot think of any other medium of its time being able to share the stories of how they lived, how they loved, and the tales they wanted to tell. I mean as an outsider, it was fascinating for me to see. I never noticed it back then, but looking back at the films now, all the continuity errors, the rather corny effects and the rough-and-tumble level of production really exposed a certain level of authenticity and tenacity when it came to making a film in Hong Kong.

Many of these guys didn’t have professional training or film school degrees. They didn’t have the huge studio budgets of the West—instead, they improvised, you know, performing their own stunts. Kung-fu choreographers came from Cantonese opera, guys improvised camera moves and tricks to establish action and story.

They didn’t learn it in a class; they learned it out on the set. And the result of this is that they built this entire cottage industry inside their own little ecosystem, one that exists to this very day. Essentially, if you watch the entire catalog of Hong Kong’s film masterpieces throughout the years you’ll literally see it improve film by film.

So on a larger scale, this kinda represents the sheer determination of the Asian work mentality. They were almost learning it as they went, passing their knowledge from one generation to another generation of filmmakers. And it’s that master and student mentality—you know the sifu and apprentice. That’s an integral part of learning a trade in Hong Kong, and there’s a certain kind of beauty to that—learning by trial and error.


MAEKAN: 你觉得鼎盛时期的香港电影对全球娱乐产业带来怎样的影响?

Frank: 毫无疑问,香港电影向世界展示了亚洲的时代精神。我想不出有任何其他的媒介能像电影这样去分享亚洲本地人们的生活、爱情以及他们的故事,这些内容对于像我这样的外人来说很有意思,很值得一看。我当年没注意过,但现在回想起来,那些穿帮镜头、粗劣的特效、参差不齐的制作水平其实在一定程度上暴露了当时香港电影行业的真实性与顽强。

这些拍电影的人中有许多人压根没接受过专业培训,也没有电影学院学位。他们没有欧美那样巨额的拍摄预算,但他们擅长即兴创作和表演各种特技。他们从粤剧找来功夫编舞师,即兴创作一些运镜和技巧,来呈现动作和故事。

他们没有去上过专业的课程,都是在片场边拍边学,最终在一个本地电影生态圈里建立了作坊式的电影行业,这个生态圈一直存在到今天。如果你完整观看过这些年来那些有名的香港电影,你会发现电影的水准其实一直在逐部提高。

往大了看,这其实代表了亚洲人一种坚韧不拔的工作心态。他们几乎都是边拍边学,将学到的经验一代代地流传给下一代的电影人。更像是一种师傅和徒弟的关系。这是在香港学习一门手艺的必经之路,这种传统里有一种魅力,那就是在错误中不断去摸索。

MAEKAN: There are quite a few different juxtapositions taking place with this series (i.e. modern car, old school backdrop). Was there a particular challenge when it came to managing these different layers?

Frank: I remember when we first viewed the car in Rome at the end of 2019, I had a moment with one of the lead designers of the project. And I asked him who he envisioned in his mind when he first put pen to paper, I mean I was hoping to glean some information on the demo or psychographics of its intended buyer, that’s a very important thing for marketing, but instead, he said perhaps the most Italian thing anyone could say, “it is for those who appreciate timeless design.”

But you know what, that really stuck with me that’s the reason why I’m telling you that answer now. The car’s design form adheres to the concept of purity—doing away with unnecessary forms or embellishments. It’s supposed to look like it was carved from a single block of metal.

So if you take a step back and just glance at the car, I felt this, as a form, could exist 30 years in the past or 30 years in the future. So this explains why we developed this concept of placing the car anachronistically throughout the three-part film over three clear eras of time but to also add the tribute to iconic film as an additional layer on top of it.

It’s supposed to also reflect the timeless nature of the Roma’s form. But one thing I will say is, primarily, this film is a story about the two characters, a triptych plot arc that tells us how they came to be, and exploring the ideas of romance, beauty, and most importantly, enterprise and determination. I’ve spoken earlier on this being a huge part of the Asian psyche—before enjoying the obvious fruits of their labor.

So in a way, the Roma is a voyeur to all this and plays a prominent if not slightly secondary role before coming into full form at the end of Part Three.


MAEKAN: 这组影片中呈现了很多不同的对比元素(比如现代汽车与复古背景),处理这些不同层次时有没有比较困难的地方?

Frank: 我记得 2019 年底我们在罗马第一次看到这辆车,当时我和项目一位主设计师聊过一次。我问他,当他第一次下笔设计时,他在脑海中所设想的车主是怎样的一个人,因为我想收集一些关于目标买家群体或心理特点的信息,这些信息对营销来说很重要;但是,他给了我一个非常意大利人的回答,他说:“这辆车是为那些懂得欣赏经典的人所设计的。”

他的这句话给我留下了很深刻的印象,这也是为什么我现在要跟你说。这款车的设计充分体现了纯粹至上的概念,摒弃一切不必要的形式或装饰,看上去就像是从一整块儿金属上雕刻而成的。

看这辆车,你会觉得它的外形既可以说是来自 30 年前,也可以说是来自 30 年后的未来。这是我们影片概念的来源,通过三段影片,将这款车分别置于三个不同时代,同时致敬经典电影作品,丰富系列的内涵。

影片主要围绕两个角色展开,分成三段故事剧情,探讨关于爱与美的主题,更重要的是,体现积极进取与不屈不挠的精神。我前面也提过,这是亚洲人身上很突出的一些品质,通过努力付出得到收获。

与此同时,Roma 汽车是影片的最大主角,它始终在一旁默默见证着这一切,直至在第三段影片结尾展露全面的车身细节。

MAEKAN: Talk us through the Easter eggs in the film.

Frank: There are numerous Easter eggs that I hope film junkies would be able to pick up on. So, I’m going to try and break it down, film by film. Starting with part one—clearly, this is a nod to Wong Kar Wai’s epic masterpiece In the Mood for Love, generally considered one of the greatest pieces of Asian film of all time, of course with the expert cinematography of Christopher Doyle.

Now, in the opening scenes, there’s a lot of mystery—you’ll notice in the original film there’s a lot of shots of backs of heads, which was a little bit strange because it went against the conventional wisdom of the time, overlapping bodies and face and it gives this sense of crowdedness—which we all know is an integral part of Hong Kong life and something he executed perfectly in his film.

There’s also a lot of “frame-in-frame” shots, which means, the actors are framed inside smaller frames inside the shot. A lot of the original’s film tension was in the “will they, or won’t they” moments, you know, tense romantic scenes in sometimes crowded areas—in our film, it was inside a crowded tram. And we decided to take a shot at recreating that feeling, the first contact between our two lead characters—developing a growing closeness between them as the short film progressed.

Thankfully, we had a different type of resolution compared to the first film.

Now in the second film, the tribute is more to an entire genre of film, one that was invented in Hong Kong and went on to influence so much of the world. I mean that, obviously, was kung fu films, popularised by the infamous Shaw Brothers studio, which was a monolith in Hong Kong film production in its heyday of the 1970s. So after some careful research and speaking to cinematographers of the time, we actually found the location where they shot many of their films, including the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which is today the Clearwater Bay Country Park.

We obtained the proper permits, and we scouted almost the exact backdrops in key moments of that film. To top this off, our props department also located an Arriflex 35 that was used in the period to shoot these films, which added yet another layer to those with a keener eye. So all the props — including that little ‘rice box’ in the lunch scene are actually from the period we are referencing. It was all in the very small details that we wanted people to notice.

For the last film, the Easter eggs were more nuanced in our tribute to perhaps every teenager of the 90s favorite film—A Better Tomorrow (1986), John Woo’s film that launched Chow Yun Fat’s career and gave birth to that legendary character “Mark Gor” (brother Mark).

You know, people have emulated this character for years since that film. But since we were approaching resolution in our plot arc with our lead characters, the tribute was mostly encased within the male lead character’s wardrobe and mannerisms—the match in his mouth, the silver tie with the striped shirt, his hair—and that very infamous “corridor walk” scene with the trench coat, which you’ll also remember from God of Gamblers (1989) too.

At the end of the film though, the credit roll itself is a tribute to that film. The choice of the typeface, the prominence given to everyone’s Chinese names was a tribute to the way they were presented in films of that era. And the music was heavily inspired by the film, which I hope people will pick up

on. However, for the most part, though, the last part was about finally reaching a resolution to our character’s love story, that sense of accomplishment and celebration, and the reveal of the Ferrari Roma.

So I wanna point out that there’s a lot of balance in the films as well. You’ll see overall, the couple gets most of the screen time in the first part, where the Roma gets most of the screen time in the third part. Also, in the beginning, the man tries to be the dominant character and makes the first move to hold the woman’s hand, while the final shot of our two characters sees that process in reverse, she initiates the move to hold his hand, as she becomes the dominant character in their relationship by becoming a star in their plot arc. The collaboration in the center is that balance point.


MAEKAN: 跟我们聊聊影片中的彩蛋。

Frank: 影片中有很多彩蛋,等待着影迷的发现。首先是第一段影片,显然是在致敬王家卫执导的经典作品《花样年华》,这部电影被奉为有史以来最伟大的亚洲电影之一;除此这外,还有对杜可风拍摄风格的致敬。

影片开场就充满东方的神秘感,运用到原作电影中有很多人物背影的镜头,这种拍摄手法其实是与当时的主流做法背道而弛的,所以会令人不解,重叠的身体和面部形成一种拥挤感,正如我们所熟悉的香港生活,他在电影中完美地体现了这一点。

另外还有很多“画中画”镜头。原作电影里很多紧张感都来自男女主角在人来人往的环境中那些“暧昧不清”的时刻,而在我们的影片中,这些场面换到了拥挤的电车里。我们想尝试重现这种氛围,这是两位主角之间的第一次接触,随着短片的推进,二人的关系也越来越亲密。幸好,与原作电影相比,这部影片会有不一样的结局。

第二段影片更多的是向一种电影流派的致敬,一种诞生于香港,继而推广到世界很多地方的电影流派,也就是功夫片。这类影片不得不提的就是邵氏电影公司,是香港电影行业在 1970 年代鼎盛时期的巨头电影公司。我找来那个时代的摄影师深入攀谈,联系了当年他们经常用来拍摄电影的场地,最后选择了原来《少林三十六房》的拍摄地进行拍摄,即今天的清水湾郊野公园。

系列拍摄过程中,很多场景都来自电影中的画面。更妙的是,我们的道具组还找到一台当年电影圈内常用的 Arriflex 35 摄影机,带给资深影迷十足的惊喜。所有的道具,就连午餐场景中的那个小“饭盒”都来自那个时代。

最后一段影片的彩蛋要更加微妙,所致敬的影片是几乎所有 90 年代年轻人都很喜欢的《英雄本色》(1986),这部由吴宇森执导的电影让周润发一炮而红,缔造了“小马哥”这个荧幕世上的传奇。

自《英雄本色》上映以来,“小马哥”一直被模仿,从未被超越。我们短片的致敬主要围绕“小马哥”的着装、举止,例如嘴叼火柴的形象、条纹衬衫搭配银色领带、发型等等,还有身穿风衣穿过走廊的经典场面。

就连影片最后的片尾谢幕段落也参考了这部经典。字体的风格、突出的中文姓名等等,都重现了那个时代电影的特点。另外,音乐部分也深受这部电影的启发。不过,这段影片主要是为两位角色之间的爱情故事划上圆满的句号,展现成就和喜悦,为 Roma 车型揭幕。

该系列影片讲究首尾呼应,达成一种平衡感。在第一段影片中,大部分镜头都给到情侣,第三段影片中,镜头的焦点又回到 Roma 车上。另外,一开始时,男主角试图成为主导的一方,主动去握女主角的手;而影片最后一个镜头却刚好相反,变成女主角去主动握男主的手。因为在影片中,女主通过努力成为明星,因此成为了两人关系中的主导者。系列拍摄的关键,就在于不断去寻找剧情上的寻找平衡点。

MAEKAN: What was the process like of getting sign off for this?

Frank: So, Ferrari is perhaps the most well-known Italian brand in the world, and with that comes a great responsibility to do the brand justice, and therefore, rightfully so, they have entire departments dedicated to brand compliance.

I had to present this concept and the boards along with our concept for the physical event to multiple layers of management, but thankfully, as I’ve said before, we enjoy a very positive relationship with key people inside the company, which allowed them to place a certain level of trust in our work and our standards. These kinds of projects, it’s a two-way street, ultimately. We have to give, and they have to give something back at the same time too. But ultimately, I’m happy they appreciated us for what we could do for them, and we delivered our best.


MAEKAN: 获得品牌方的认可有什么感想?

Frank: 法拉利可以说是世界上最知名的意大利品牌,所以要求自然也更高,责任也更重大,品牌本身也设立了专门的部门,以保证合规方面的工作。

我要将整个概念、故事板以及我们的线下活动概念展示给各级管理层。但正如我之前所说,我们很庆幸能与品牌内部的关键人物保持着非常愉快的关系,所以他们也比较信任我们的工作和标准。说到底,这类项目就像一条双行道,双方都必须相互付出。我很高兴他们对我们的工作表示了满意,我们也尽了最大努力来完成这个项目。

MAEKAN: Can you talk a little bit about the team involved?​

Frank: To give another layer to this whole production, the entire team came from the professional Hong Kong film industry, from our producers and PAs to our DoP and the camera and lighting team.

Many of these people worked on Hong Kong feature film sets and are even second-generation film industry workers, who were able to also bring advice to the table on small nuances—such as how crews had their lunch in the 1970s period of the second film, what equipment was used on set back then, and so forth. Many people here in the film industry learn their jobs on the job, and it shows. Their experience is invaluable.

As a director, it’s my job to find people whom I can rely on so everyone has their duties on set. I always like to say to people that a film crew operates almost like a military unit sometimes. Everyone has their specialist skill, and once combined, like Voltron, we use them all to get to the mission’s goal. This is now the 3rd time I’d worked with my DOP Derrick Fong, and we have a great workflow now between us in where I can express my vision, and he understands how to build that and the mechanics of that shot with the camera team.

The same goes for our producers, our post-production people, and so forth. We rely on each other to get the job done. As creators, it’s absolutely right that we need to be able to continue to produce inspiring, innovative work, but we also need to maintain the brand’s goal at the finish line. This is where collaboration comes in.


MAEKAN: 你能介绍一下参与的团队吗?

Frank: 为了呈现更高水准的制作,整个团队都是来自香港电影行业的专业人士,包括制片人、制片助理、摄影指导以及摄影和灯光团队。

他们中的许多人都曾在香港电影片场打拼,甚至有的是香港第二代影人,所以能够提供很多细节上的建议——比如在第二段影片中,关于 1970 年代工作人员如何吃午餐、当时片场所用的设备等等。在电影行业,许多人都是边工作边学习,他们的经验非常宝贵。

作为导演,我的工作是找到可以信赖的人,让员工各司其职。我经常跟别人说,摄制组的运作其实和军队很像。每个人都有自己的专业技能,一旦结合起来,就能像战神金刚 Voltron (5个狮型机器人组成的机器人战士,译注)一样,齐心协力来实现任务目标。这次的摄影指导是 Derrick Fong,这是我和他之间的第三次合作,彼此之间已经熟悉,只要我说出自己的想法,相应的镜头马上就可以兑现。

制作人、后期制作人员等等也同样如此,通过相互信赖来完成工作。作为创作者,我们需要不断去挖掘一些鼓舞人心的点子,同时也需要实现品牌的目标。这就是合作的意义。

MAEKAN: In the age where branded content is still in flux, what does it mean for you to present such an unorthodox presentation?

Frank: Well, first off, I’m glad you noticed that it isn’t just another way of presenting “branded content” because the intention wasn’t to make it just like every other branded piece of film. It means a lot that Ferrari was willing to place their trust in us to do something unorthodox.

I made sure from the beginning that everyone understood that first and foremost this is an artistic project—that where possible, we shouldn’t have to compromise on the film production aspect, for the sake of the product. I mean the formula for a car launch is generally pretty simple, it’s a grand flashy event, there are exciting adrenaline-filled videos, loud noises, lots of beautiful decor with beautiful people, culminated by a grand unveiling of a car in front of a whole bunch of customers and press.

This time though, we approached every aspect of it just like we would to any film production with castings, fittings, storyboard, location scouting, post-production treatments. I mean, I always say this, if you want to see fast people in fast cars doing fast things—there’s a lot of that on the internet and a lot that is beautifully shot. But this was really us trying something different. To tell a love story, but one that also starred the Roma.


MAEKAN: 在品牌内容瞬息万变的时代,对你来说,以这种突破常规的方式来打造品牌内容意味着什么?

Frank: 首先,我很高兴你没有把它归为通常的“品牌内容”,因为我们不只是想制作一部普通的广告影片。法拉利愿意信任我们这种“不走寻常路”的做法,这对我们来说意义非凡。

我从一开始就确保每个人明白,这首先是一个艺术项目,所以,无论如何,我们绝不能为了产品而在影片制作方面作出妥协。大多数汽车宣传的套路都非常简单。举办一场盛大豪华的活动,播放一些活力四射的视频、热热闹闹的场面、令人眼花缭乱的漂亮布置和面容姣好的模特,最后让新车在一大群客户和媒体前隆重揭幕。

但这一次,我们在每一个方面都完全按照电影制作的方式来处理,包括选角、试装、故事板、外景勘查、后期制作。正如我经常说的,如果你只是想看一些很酷的人开车飞驰,做一些很酷的事情,网上有很多这样的东西,而且很多都拍得很漂亮。但我们想尝试不一样的东西。我们想讲一个爱情故事,一个由 Roma 参与演绎的故事。

MAEKAN: Is there something in particular about the Roma that aligns with this idea behind the film?

Frank: You know, maybe we should’ve started with this question, haha. So the overarching global product message for the Roma is “La Nuova Dolce Vita”—the new Dolce Vita.

So La Dolce Vita refers to a period of Italian cultural renaissance, primarily centered around Rome in the ’50s and ’60s and spoke of appreciating beauty, pursuing elegance, and generally living a full, rewarding life. So that period was immortalized in the legendary Italian cinema of its time, which is where it ties into our concept of our own tribute to our film industry.


MAEKAN: Roma 有哪些地方是与电影背后的理念一致的吗?

Frank: 也许我们一开始应该先从这个问题开始说起,哈哈。Roma 在全球的产品信息是“La Nuova Dolce Vita”(La Dolce Vita),即甜蜜新生活。

“La Dolce Vita”是意大利的一个文化复兴时期,以 50 年代和 60 年代的罗马为主,指的是欣赏美、追求优雅以及过上充实而有意义的生活,当年的很多经典意大利电影永远地记录下这一个特别的时代,我们也由此有了这次以影片来致敬香港电影行业的概念。

MAEKAN: How does a brand like Ferrari, that’s so rooted in tradition and innovation, move forward sensibly and in a balanced manner?

Frank: Hmm… Carefully. I think that’s the best way to put it. It’s not an easy challenge when they have to be custodians for a brand that is so celebrated for its heritage—there are very few brands, especially in automotive with such an unbroken lineage such as Ferrari, which is why they rightfully hold on to their heritage and past accomplishments. But over the last few years, there has been a push from the factory to try and align a more forward-facing strategy for the future.

So, this is my personal view only. They do this with one foot in the past and one in the future. Product-wise, every generation sees a quantum leap in technology that’s filtered down from their racing programs, and you have to remember, that Ferrari is a racing company, first and foremost.

You’ll see this technology in the interior and the all-new TFT display in the Roma. I think Ferrari always lets the product lead the brand message. And with that, the brand follows, and the trickle-down effect is more innovative communications campaigns, content production, and event experiences that are born from this drive. But as I said, this is my personal opinion only.


MAEKAN: 对于像法拉利这样兼具传统与创新的品牌,应如何明智而平衡地往前发展?

Frank: 小心谨慎,三思而行,这样说可能是最合适的。对于法拉利品牌来说,要守护自身如此悠久显赫的品牌历史绝非易事——尤其是在汽车领域,很少有品牌像法拉利这样拥有如此完整的品牌传承,这也是为什么他们一直在坚守品牌的传统、以及过往的成就。而在过去几年间,制造商方面也一直努力想转换更具前瞻性的战略,以适应未来发展。

这只是我个人的看法。他们的应对办法是一只脚站在过去,一只脚站在未来。在产品方面,每一代的车型都能看到从赛车领域提炼出来的技术。别忘了,法拉利首先是一家赛车公司。

关于这一点,你可以从 Roma 的内饰和全新的 TFT 显示屏中看得出来。一直以来,法拉利都是用产品来传达品牌信息。在产品的基础上,进行品牌推广,通过涓滴效应,由此催生出更具创新性的广告宣传、内容制作和活动体验。但正如我所说,这只是我个人的看法。

Website: www.blackbird-automotive.com
Instagram: @blackbirdautomotive

 

Media Partner: MAEKAN

Contributor: Eugene Kan
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li
Images Courtesy of Blackbird Automotive


网站: www.blackbird-automotive.com
Instagram: @blackbirdautomotive

 

媒体合作伙伴: MAEKAN

供稿人: Nate Kan
中译英: Olivia Li
图片由 Blackbird Automotive 提供

Midnight Oil 倘若希望之路是一片汪洋

February 15, 2022 2022年2月15日

Calm, endless seas reflect a cold moon and bleak skies in the paintings of Bao Vuong. The French-Vietnamese artist recreates the perilous seaward journey his family was forced to risk decades ago. Each painting aches with tranquility and intrigue, depicting a voyage into the unknown on the path to a better life. Their destination is hidden from sight behind the nighttime horizons, but so is the point of departure behind them. Despite a yawning unknown, there’s comfort to be found.


Bao Vuong 是一名越南裔法国籍画家,他再现了几十年前与家人被迫踏上的那段充满艰难险阻的航程。画面上,总是一望无际的海面,以及天空中一轮冷月,带来暗淡阴郁的氛围,其中的静谧和神秘令人神伤。仿佛为观众讲述一艘客船,为了抵达幸福的彼岸,在汪洋中徐徐前进,驶入未知。船的目的地被无边暗夜淹没,始发地早已远远地消失在地平线。然而,除了那令人压抑的未知,Bao 还希望观众从中获得慰藉。

Vuong is a 43-year-old painter born in the southern Vietnamese city of Vinh Long. At one years old, his family fled the country as the north claimed victory in the American War. His father, who fought in the southern army, feared being thrown into a reeducation camp, so like many others, they escaped by sea. It’s estimated that nearly 800,000 Vietnamese boat people survived the journey, while hundreds of thousands more didn’t make it.

His family hid in the country for six months before finally setting out under the cover of darkness. Vuong says pirates attacked their group three times, robbing them and raping the women before they finally reached the shores of Malaysia. But they were turned away by the coast guard and sent back out to sea without supplies or water. It was only thanks to rain that they survived before being rescued by another ship. They ended up in Indonesia and were eventually accepted by France as refugees.


如今 43 岁的 Bao 出生于越南南部城市永隆。他还在娘胎里的时候,美国与友军南越在越战中失败。一岁时,他全家逃离了故乡。他的父亲曾是一名为南越效力的将军,父亲担心战败后会被关入改造营。因此和许多人一样,父亲带着家人从海上逃离越南。据估计,约有八十万越南人成功乘船抵达了其他国家、另有几十万人在途中丧命。

过了半年隐姓埋名的隐蔽生活后,Bao 一家人趁着夜色驶离故土。他回忆一行人途中曾三次遭受海盗袭击,匪徒不但劫走了他们的财物,还强奸了结伴同行的女性。一波三折,他们终于抵达了马来西亚海岸。可当地海岸巡逻拒绝他们上岸,只好又重返海面,此时的他们早已弹尽粮绝。往后更为痛苦的日子里,幸好天公作美,雨水使他们不至于渴死。有一天,Bao 等人终于被一艘货船搭救。他们成功到达印度尼西亚,最后以难民身份进入法国。

“My mother didn’t tell me any of this until I was 23 when my family was back in Vietnam for a holiday,” Vuong relates. “I became obsessed with the idea of representing the refugees’ story. The story of my mother. My story.”

To reclaim these tales of heartbreak and survival, he started The Crossing series in 2017. The collection of lampblack oceans in the dead of night captures the dreadful experience they were forsaken to. He evokes the feeling of an impenetrable darkness, one that piles onto the grief of these displaced people and their constant fear of perishing at sea.


“23岁时,我同家人回越南度假。直到那时,母亲才跟我讲述了家族那段漂泊的历史”,Bao说道,“也正是从那时起,一个想法开始萦绕在我脑海,挥之不去:我要讲述越南难民们的故事,我自己的故事。”

2017 年,Bao 开始了《The Crossing》(横渡)系列绘画。系列中的每一幅作品,都是一望无际的海面,黑压压一片,使人喘不过气,带观众联想当年令人揪心的经历,感受那无尽的黑暗之中,流离失所的苦楚以及对丧命海底的忧惧。

Most of his paintings are created with a singular color. The varying thickness of the paint and textures that Vuong works with create a luminosity and shape. Thinner layers of paint in the sky give the effect of moonlight. Below, thick layers are carved with palette knives to form the waves. The gobs of paint can take months or even years to completely dry, and the details etched atop them create texture for ambient light to reflect off. The appearance of the paintings change depending on the position of the light source, the color of the light, and the angle viewers see it from. “These are paintings that are always changing; ‘elusive’ I would almost say,” Vuong explains.


Bao 的大多数作品都以单一颜色绘就。画中景物的亮度与质感,往往通过颜料的厚度变化、或是画笔走向来呈现。月光下泛起的亮光由浅色颜料涂抹,再用调色刀雕磨海上的波涛。这些颜料可能需要数月甚至数年的时间才能完全风干。Bao 用小刀在颜料上刻画出细节,让光线在作品上体现出更好的层次。因此,画面的视觉效果随光源位置、光源颜色以及观众位置的改变而发生变化。Bao 说:“画面时时刻刻都在产生着变化,会因环境而变得难以琢磨,就像难民的原行一样,充满未知。”

Despite the horrifying journey he strives to recount, there’s a silver lining. Vuong believes the sea is more than a place of loss and sadness. He grew up in towns by the sea and says the ocean comforts him. His parents even tell him “water” was his first word. Working on the paintings is also meditative, and as he paints thousands of small waves line by line, he often finds himself in a kind of trance.


曾经那段不寒而栗的经历,也让 Bao 从中收获。他相信,除却失去与痛苦,大海还有着更深远的意义。他从小海边小镇长大,大海给他带来了慰藉。就连他的父母也曾告诉 Bao:他孩提时期学会念的第一个词语便是“大海”。他认为创作也是沉思的过程。就在成千上万道浪羽被画下的同时,自己早已沉浸其中了。

Vuong says his family struggled for decades in this unspoken darkness, weighed down by an unexpressed pain. While their brutal experiences are central to the paintings, his art captures more than just trauma—it’s about triumphing over it: “My work is an allegory about overcoming darkness in general,” he explains. “I think that we all have very dark days in our life, and we all have a light inside us to follow. This light helps us to keep going, to keep crossing the ocean of life. Reflections of light on my paint strokes represent shimmers of hope that give birth to a survival instinct, echoing the promise for a better world.”


Bao 表示他的家人们在过去的几十年里因这段不为人知的往事而挣扎,这种痛苦一度使他们颓丧。尽管多数作品反映了家族的悲惨经历,然而伤痛并非这些画作的唯一主题,战胜伤痛也是他想要传达给观众的重要信息。“我的作品是战胜黑暗的寓言”,他解释道,“我认为每个人都会经历暗淡无光的日子,然而,我们心中总有一道光,为我们指引方向。它鼓励我们不断前进,穿越人生的汪洋。我作品中的反光象征着希望,它强化了人们的生存本能,也代表着我们的世界终将变得更加美好。”

Like our stories? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Website: www.baoartworks.com

 

Contributor: Mike Steyels
Chinese Translation: Alice Zhang


喜欢我们的故事?欢迎关注我们 Neocha 的微博微信

 

网站: www.baoartworks.com

 

供稿人: Mike Steyels
英译中: Alice Zhang

Y Gion 古城,新愿

January 21, 2022 2022年1月21日
The Gion district in Kyoto. 京都祗园

This story is part of a content partnership and media exchange between Neocha and MAEKAN. To see more of MAEKAN’s content on Neocha, click here.

 

The office of Takuma Inoue’s interior design firm is located on the fifth floor of a building in the Gion district of Kyoto facing the Kamo river. This building, y gion, has been Inoue‘s ongoing project for the past few years and is the base from which he hopes to nurture art in Kyoto to be “locally grown, internationally known.” He looks to bring together the traditional and cutting edge in fresh ways that will draw global attention. Inoue and I talk while seated across from each other at the communal table that occupies 40% of his office. To our right is an uninterrupted view of the traditional machiya townhouses across the river. While the district where y gion is located has a long history, the room we’re sitting in and the entire five-story building is of an unmistakably contemporary design—Inoue began renovations on y gion, a former hostess club, two years ago.


本篇文章来自 Neocha 媒体合作伙伴 MAEKAN 的内容交换。在 Neocha 上阅读更多 MAEKAN 的文章,请 点击此处

 

Takuma Inoue 的室内设计工作室位于京都祗园 y gion 大楼的五层,正对着鸭川河。这里是 Takuma 过去几年来一直倾力打造的项目,致力于京都本土文化和艺术。他希望能以新颖的方式,融合前卫与传统,吸引全球人的目光。

在一张占据了整个工作室小半个面积的共享办公桌上,Takuma 正与我促膝长谈。在我们的右手边,河对岸的日式传统町屋一览无余。y gion 所在的地区遗留着丰厚的历史面貌,但我们身处的空间和整栋五层高的建筑都别具现代意味。y gion 前身是一家风俗店(日本风月场所),正是两年前 Takuma 才开始对这里进行改造。

Takuma Inoue
Takuma Inoue

In 2012, Inoue started his interior design firm Everedge at the age of twenty-seven. The owners of the y gion building approached Inoue a year after he opened for business asking whether he’d be interested in spearheading their renovation project, but they wound up not agreeing with his pitch. Inoue recalls, “After three years, they asked me again because the building was still empty and nobody was doing anything. So I came up with the concept of a multicultural platform.” Now, besides running Everedge, Inoue concentrates his time and energy on being y gion’s creative director.


2012 年,27 岁的 Takuma 创办了自己的室内设计公司 Everedge。大楼的业主在开业的一年后找到了他,询问他是否有兴趣负责大楼的翻新项目,但最初的设计提案并未被采纳。Takuma 回忆说:“三年后,他们又来问我,因为当时大楼还是门堪罗雀,属于滞空状态,我随即想出一个多元文化平台的设计概念。” 后来,除了经营 Everedge 之外,Takuma 的时间和精力主要还用于负责 y gion 的创意总监一职。

The y gion building in the Gion district 祗园内的 y gion 大楼
The y gion noren curtain y gion 入口处的帘门

While the location of y gion is right by the river in the heart of downtown Kyoto, this neighborhood has an unresolved history that has rendered it relatively quiet since the bubble burst in Japan in 1992. The street y gion is on seems especially deserted when compared to the nearby Hanami-Kōji Lane that every season is packed with tourists hoping for a glimpse of a geisha and taking selfies in their rented kimonos. During Japan’s economic boom, this part of Gion, sandwiched between two major roads, was filled with hostess clubs, bars, and discos. When the economic growth halted, people stopped spending money on night life, including the former hostess club called Snack that lay vacant for seven years before it was transformed into y gion.


y gion 所在的鸭川河曾位于京都市中心,由于历史遗留问题,自 1992 年日本的泡沫经济破灭以来,街区一直萧条。附近的“花见小路”是著名的游客景点,现如今挤满了游客,人们想要一睹昔日艺妓风采、或是穿着租借和服打卡自拍;相比之下,y gion 所在的街道显得冷清。这片街区夹在祗园两条主干道之间,在日本经济繁荣时期,这里街道两旁被风俗店、酒吧和迪斯科舞厅占据。但经济停滞后,人们不愿再把钱花在夜生活上面。其中一家风俗店“Snack”在空置了七年后被改造成为今天 y gion 的样子。

A corridor inside y gion y gion 大楼内部走廊
The interior of y gion y gion 大楼内部设计

The walls, ceilings, and floors of y gion are mainly composed of concrete that’s finished to look intentionally polished, but still imperfect enough to still feel industrial. The lighting throughout is warm, transforming the otherwise grey rooms into appealing, comfortable spaces. Each space in y gion is flexible, as easily converted into a retail location, a bar or restaurant, or a gallery. Large balconies and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open up the indoor spaces and incorporate Kyoto’s beauty into the building’s design. The rooftop bar, which hosts chu-hai bar Sour in the summer, is exactly the kind of place where a group of friends would want to hang out. To me, the exterior of y gion hints at contemporary art museums; the sheer unbroken concrete surfaces, undecorated windows, and the use of natural light remind me of the Benesse Art Site on Naoshima island. Visitors enter the building through an entrance that is two stories high and has a long light brown noren curtain hanging from the top. The contrasts in materials and color—concrete and wood, grey and brown—echoes the kind of intersectional events Inoue organizes.

While Everedge is thriving, Inoue was looking for ownership over his own projects. “I’m still an interior designer and I love doing what I love. But when you do interior design we give a lot of ideas and then when the project is finished, I hand over the project. Maybe in two, three years when they’re successful they’ll give us a new project, but to me, I wanted to have my own ideas.”

He felt like he was putting a great deal of time into crafting thoughtful interiors for restaurants, hotels, and living spaces that would wind up under other people’s jurisdiction. He was in charge of the initial launch of a place and then detached from the actual use of a location over time—how people inhabit it, what events are hosted, and what kind of culture is nurtured.


y gion 的墙壁、天花板和地板均为混凝土打造,表面既有着明显的打磨处理效果,又保留了适当的瑕疵细节,以彰显工业之美。灯光则采用偏暖色系的照明,让原本灰色调的空间变得舒适亲近。y gion 中的每个空间都很灵活,可轻松改造成零售场所、吧台、餐厅或是画廊。宽敞的阳台和落地推拉玻璃门,令室内空间显得更通透,将窗外京都的美景一收眼底。楼顶酒吧在夏季时售卖烧酒,是朋友们来聚会活动的绝佳选择。在我看来,y gion 的大楼外观看上去很像一座当代艺术博物馆:完整的原始混凝土外墙、未加装饰的窗户和对自然光的运用让人想到了在直岛由安藤忠雄设计的倍乐生艺术场(Benesse Art Site)。大楼的入口有两层楼高,穿过悬挂在门口的浅棕色日式门帘,游客即可进入大楼内部。这些材料和颜色的对撞,与 y gion 所举办的各种跨界文化活动形成某种呼应。

在 Everedge 工作室进展一切顺利的同时,Takuma 也不断寻找属于自己的项目。“我是一名室内设计师,我热衷于自己的工作。虽然与客户的想法有出入,但对我来说,我还是想按照自己的方式来做。” 他感觉无论是建筑还是室内设计,设计师花了如此多心血,但这些空间最终只能归于其他人来管理,那感觉就像是养大的孩子撒手不管。他只能参与到空间最初的启动,之后他就不能再插手,包括人们如何在其中生活、这里所举办的活动以及所营造的空间文化等等。但在 y gion 则不同,这里的空间由 Takuma 设计,也同样由他参与到管理与工作中。

Takuma browsing the artwork of Yukihiro Tada that was on display at an exhibition held at y gion y gion 内部,Takuma 正在翻阅漫画家 Yukihiro Tada 的作品

For Inoue, it was especially meaningful to have creative direction on a building in his hometown, which he feels is still missing a developed art environment. “I think people are having difficulty expressing themselves. It’s kind of like they have a mentality of building an art life over a long period of time, which means they don’t know how to brand themselves. I wanted to start this creative directorship for the younger artists or the artists who have a problem expanding their work to the world.” Inoue has high expectations of himself as it pertains to his responsibilities. “I think there’s a difference between being a creative director and being a producer. In the past in Japan the producer was the one who ran the world. To me, producing is connecting this designer to this owner or this restaurant to the other restaurant, just connecting. There is no creativity in it. I think ‘creative director’ means to direct, you know, from the word itself. So when you connect two people or try to create “mixed culture” you need to have your own idea or your own concept to connect people.”


对于 Takuma 来说,在家乡本地从事创意事业意义非凡。在他看来,京都仍然缺乏合适的艺术环境。“我觉得这里的人不擅长表现自我,他们似乎很佛系,不知道如何推广自己。所以我想为年轻一批艺术家或不擅推广的艺术家们提供帮助。”Takuma 对于自己的职责有很高的要求,“我觉得创意总监和制片人是有区别的。过去在日本,制作人的权力最大。但在我看来,制作人的职责是帮设计师联系某个客户或某家餐厅,只是牵线搭桥,不涉及创意。而‘创意总监’顾名思义,是需要临位指导的。当你联络双方或尝试创造‘混合文化’时,是需要有自己的想法或概念才能真正起到连接的作用。”

Beatmaker Phennel Koliander spinning tunes. 制作人 Phennel Koliander 正在翻动唱机
Menu for the Shokudou Ogawa event with flyers posted underneath advertising the opening party of Jazzy Sport Kyoto Jazzy Sport Kyoto 开幕派对现场,Shokudou Ogawa 为活动制作的菜单
An event attendee taking a close look at the work of Hiroshi Sugimoto 参展观众正在仔细端详 Hiroshi Sugimoto 的摄影作品

The term “mixed culture” requires a little more elaboration. Inoue goes on to say, “We create events that are “mixed culture.” We have food and art, art and music, art and sound. ‘Mixed culture’ is our concept. Let’s say someone is interested in food and comes for the food; maybe one out of ten people becomes more interested in the art and that for me is expansion of the culture.”

Part of y gion’s core mission is to connect disparate creative concepts in a way that appeals to all kinds of people while supporting artists. Inoue continues to explain how y gion is doing something different by describing the cultural climate in Kyoto. “The problem in second cities is if you want to do something in music you start from the underground, but the underground scene just stays underground. If a hundred people come, it’s always the same one hundred people. It doesn’t expand. And I think, ‘Why is that?’”


Takuma 进一步对“混合文化”作出了解释:“我们举办‘混合文化’的活动,有美食与艺术的交融,有艺术与音乐的连接,也有艺术与声音的搭配。‘混合文化’是我们的理念。比如有一部分人对美食感兴趣,奔着美食而来,我们或许可以令其中十分之一的人对艺术产生兴趣,这对我来说就是文化的传播。”

吸引不同群体的汇合,同时为艺术家提供帮助,是 y gion 的核心使命之一。Takuma 接着说道:“二线城市的问题在于,如果你想做音乐,就得从地下开始,但地下圈子会一直在地下。如果来了一百位观众,那圈子里就会一直是这一百个人,而且不会继续壮大,人数只会越来越少。所以有个问题困扰我很久,究竟是什么导致了这样的状况?”

Head chef of the restaurant Shokudou Ogawa y gion 餐厅主厨 Shokudou Ogawa
Onigiri prepared by Shokudou Ogawa at a pop-up event 快闪活动中,由 Shokudou Ogawa 制作的日式饭团
Seared tuna prepared by Shokudou Ogawa Shokudou Ogawa 制作的烤吞拿鱼

Inoue lived in New York from the age of sixteen to twenty-three. His time in the States changed the way he thinks. “I saw a lot of art coming from the street, like Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. Those people tried to make it on the street level and then in clubs and galleries. At some point of their lives they gain patrons so they are able to expand their art and creativity. But in Japan, first of all, people don’t buy that much art and also, we don’t have that scene.” While Inoue frequently praises Kyoto, he also sees something lacking in the way the locals perceive art and culture. “For me the difference is that, whenever something cool is happening I can say that it’s cool without somebody else telling me. I think in Kyoto or Japan, it’s more of, ‘Oh, because somebody is saying it’s cool, it’s cool.’” Changing the attitudes of Japanese people to embrace “mixed culture” is one of his goals for y gion.

“If you mix cultures like art and music people who are not interested in art become interested, because they came for the other thing and accidentally find something more interesting. If I don’t provide those spaces that express not one, but two or three creative realms, it doesn’t expand.” For example, one event Takuma held at y gion was a pop-up of the restaurant Shokudou Ogawa sponsored by Shuhari Sake. The gallery space on the same floor of the building was holding an exhibition of the photographer and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. The photos on display were Sugimoto’s Seascapes, large black and white photos of the horizon line of seas around the world. In addition to the food and exhibit, a rotating line-up of three local DJs played a mix of 90s hip-hop. Inoue makes sure that each part of an event held at y gion is strong on its own. The music isn’t an afterthought and the food isn’t provided just because refreshments are necessary.


16 岁到 23 岁期间,Takuma 一直在纽约生活。美国的生活改变了他的思维方式。“我看到很多发源于街头的艺术家,比如安迪·沃霍尔(Andy Warhol)和凯斯·哈林(Keith Haring)。他们从街头起步,一路发展到俱乐部和画廊。在某个阶段,他们获得了赞助人的扶持,因而能够进一步扩展他们的艺术和创作。但在日本,首先购买艺术品的人就少,这对艺术本身的发展并不利。”Takuma 对家乡京都一往情深,同时他也看到当地人对艺术的看法存在问题。“对我来说,不同之处在于,看到一些很酷的事情时,我可以直接说它很酷,不需要其他人来告诉我。而在京都或日本,更多时候,人们是‘哦,因为有人说它很酷,所以它很酷’”。改变日本人的态度并接纳“混合文化”是他对 y gion 寄予的期望之一。

“当你把艺术和音乐等不同领域的文化相融合,那些原本不关心艺术的人自然也会关注,他们本来出于其他原因而来,却在无意中发现更有趣的事物。尤其在二线城市,如果太过单一,就无法扩展艺术这个圈子。”

Takuma 曾在 y gion 举办过由 Shuhari Sake 赞助的 Shokudou Ogawa 餐厅快闪店,当时在大楼同层的画廊空间里还举办了摄影师兼建筑师杉本博司的作品展出。与此同时,空间内在展出他的作品《海景》,包括了一系列拍摄于世界各地的黑白色海洋地平线的巨幅作品。除了美食和展览,有三位当地 DJ 正轮番播放着 90 年代嘻哈音乐。Takuma 尽量确保在 y gion 举办的活动中,每一个部分都能独树一帜:音乐部分不是为了衬托气氛,美食部分也不是为了作为茶点而提供。

The rooftop of y gion y gion 的天台
The rooftop bar of y gion that hosts Sour Garden in the summer y gion 的天台,常在夏日举办活动

One instance of external validation to Inoue that his concept for y gion is working came from Robert Del Naja of the British music group Massive Attack. According to Inoue, Robert Del Naja spent $3,000 purchasing art at a collaborative gallery event featuring Kyoto-based artists Bakibaki, known for bold, geometric motifs, and Daijiro Hama, famous for his experiments with inky portraiture. Inoue tells me this story not to name drop, but to explain how this occurrence was proof of concept and how valuable that proof is for him to show local artists. “For y gion, when we did the event, we gave them proof that the art could sell and that time I felt really good because I could show artists that even in Kyoto, you can still sell art. I think that’s the highlight of the event that we did. And I can say it shows artists that they can be confident going out into the world.”


让 Takuma 意识到 y gion 的理念正在发挥作用的契机,是来自英国音乐团体 Massive Attack 的 Robert Del Naja 的一次光顾。Takuma 表示,Robert Del Naja 以 3000 美元的价格购买了当天展出的一件艺术品,参与这次画廊活动的艺术家包括了以大胆几何图案著称的京都艺术家 Bakibaki 和以实验性墨迹肖像而闻名的 Daijiro Hama。Takuma 分享这个故事不是为了蹭热度,而是为了证明其理念的可行性,那次成功让整个空间在当地年轻艺术家心里站住了脚。“真的很欣慰,我们想向大家证明,出售艺术品绝非天方夜谭,我们可以让其他艺术家相信,即使在京都,你依然可以卖出自己的作品。这是我们所举办的活动里的一次亮点,我们也让艺术家们明白,他们完全可以自信地走向世界。”

Inoue’s focus on having Kyoto-based artists use y gion as a launching pad is linked to how much the phrase “locally grown, internationally known” resonates with him. (He has been using it as the tagline for y gion.) Inoue answers my question about what he thinks the future of Kyoto looks like, “I think second cities that keep their authenticity or original ideas are going to be successful rather than big cities.” Second cities are the second or third largest cities of a country. Australia’s second city is Melbourne and Canada’s second city is Montreal. “You don’t need to be in a big city to have the latest information and in big cities it’s all the same brands, like Hermes and Louis Vuitton. Everywhere you go it’s the same product.” Inoue believes each second city has something no other city has. If people in those places continue to support their local artists and mix the culture inherent in their city, those things will have far-reaching appeal. “If you respect local ideas that are going on in your local city that’s the global mindset, because people want to see that.”

Part of the reason why Japan is interesting to the world is its rich history. Inoue sees both sides of the coin. On one hand, he says,“In the States, because they don’t have a history they can create new stuff.” He thinks its easier in America to innovate in industries such as entertainment, because there is less history to refer to. “At the same time, you are yourself because of the history. You need to respect history to expand or have new ideas, because if you forget where you come from you never know where you’re going.” It’s possible to be respectful of history while moving culture forward, but the Japanese government doesn’t always agree. “At some point you need to break boundaries and breaking boundaries to the government is not an option. To me, new creative ideas are really the driving force to have a new event or new ideas. The government structure needs to change, but it’s not happening.”


Takuma 之所以要让 y gion 成为专注于京都艺术家的平台,这与他所提出的“立足本土,扬名国际”(locally grown, internationally known)理想密不可分,他甚至把这句话当作 y gion 的标语。我问 Takuma 他认为京都未来会是什么样子的,他回答道:“我觉得京都在未来是一座既能保持本土特色、又能有创意支撑的二线城市。能不能成为大城市对我来说其实没多大必要,眼下,你不需要住在大城市,就能获得最新资讯。而且在大城市里,来来去去都是那些品牌,比如爱马仕和路易威登。无论走到哪里,都是千篇一律的商品。”Takuma 相信,这些二线城市都有着其他城市所没有的独特之处。如果本地人们能继续支持当地的艺术家,融合本地城市所固有的文化,最终能对后代产生深远的影响。“尊重本地城市的想法,这是一种全球思维,因为这才是人们想看到的东西。”

日本令世界感兴趣的一部分原因在于其丰富的历史。Takuma 觉得这有利有弊。一方面,他认为:“在美国,因为没有历史,所以他们会不断创造新事物。”在他看来,在美国的娱乐等行业,创新更容易,因为可参考的历史并不多。“另一方面,历史造就了你,你需要尊重历史,在这个基础上再去拓展、创新,如果你忘记了自己的根,就会变得不知何去何从。”人们可以在尊重历史的前提下推动文化发展,但有时却会遭到日本政府的反对。“你需要打破界限,但有时政府却不买账。在我看来,新的创意是催生新事物或新想法的动力。政府结构需要变革,可现实却事与愿违。”

y gion at night 夜色中的 y gion

Inoue is not alone at y gion breaking boundaries and bringing his vision to life. He actively looks for people, artists, and brands who want to break boundaries in the same way he does. “Usually big department stores have to make money right away so you have to bring tenants that are popping but, as I said before, I want to do something that will last long. To do that you need to be really careful in selecting brands that have the same mentality as you.” Recently, y gion’s first tenant moved in: Jazzy Sport, a music collective, record store, and music label from Tokyo. Jazzy Sport being established in y gion is a significant milestone on the way towards Takuma accomplishing the goals he has set for himself.

He has a clear picture of what happens next. His humanistic goals are ordered from the people closest to y gion outwards. First, y gion becomes fully occupied with tenants whose mindsets are authentic in their desire to mix culture and bring people together as opposed to make money. Second, the building is constantly busy with visitors who understand what y gion is trying to do. Third, the artists y gion features achieve global recognition. Inoue declares, “That’s the moment I could say that this was successful.”


在 y gion,Takuma 并非孤身一人。他不断去发掘和他一样想要突破创新的人才、艺术家和品牌。“一般大型的百货公司都要求能马上赚钱,所以入驻的商户都是知名的品牌;但正如我之前所说,我想建立更持久的合作,因此在合作选择上需要斟酌很久。”最近,y gion 迎来了第一个商户 —— Jazzy Sport,一个来自东京的音乐团体、唱片店和音乐厂牌。Jazzy Sport 进驻 y gion 是 Takuma 实现自己目标的一个重要里程碑。

对于未来 Takuma 有着清晰的构想。接下来,他首先要为 y gion 凝聚志同道合的人群,而不是盲目盈利。其次,让越来越多的圈外人群了解 y gion。最后,让 y gion 所支持的艺术家获得全球的认可。Takuma 说:“到那时候,才算真正的成功,现在一切才刚刚开始。” 而 y gion,就像是一把撑起京都艺术的“油纸伞”,将不同人群聚集起来,每一片伞页都带有不同的风采,同时又保留了传统。

Website: www.ygion.com
Instagram: @y.gion

 

Media Partner: MAEKAN

Contributor: Charis Poon
Photographer: Mitsuru Wakabayashi
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


网站: www.ygion.com
Instagram: @y.gion

 

媒体合作伙伴: MAEKAN

供稿人: Charis Poon
摄影师: Mitsuru Wakabayashi
中译英: Olivia Li

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢

B-Boy Monsters 千锤百炼于一身,花拳绣腿 B-boy

August 3, 2020 2020年8月3日

In an impressive display of athleticism, the dancer in frame hoists himself up with a one-armed handstand, but something doesn’t feel quite right—perhaps it’s the extra set of legs stretched out under him or the extra arm jutting out of his ribcage, all of which make him appear more arachnid than human. This bizarre image is one of many from B-Boy Monsters, a series of unconventional breakdancer portraits by New York-based photographer Johnny Tang.


照片里的舞者单臂倒立撑起整个身体,展现出惊人的力量与运动精神。但整幅画面好像哪里不对 —— 定睛一看,原来他们都多出了三头六臂,呈现出一副可以飞檐走壁、神乎其技的模样。这些风格怪异的照片来自纽约摄影师 Johnny Tang 拍摄的《B-Boy Monsters》系列,为我们呈现了多组街头舞者的肖像。

Breakdancing—better known as breaking or b-boying by scene insiders—has been Tang’s passion for nearly twenty years. The fierce competitive spirit, sense of community, and how it marries creative expression with athletic prowess are all part of its enduring allure.

“Breakdance has been able to grow into a massively diverse, worldwide community because of the competitive social aspect of it,” Tang explains. “People only care about your skills. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or what you look like. The only thing that matters is what you’re contributing.” An eagerness to contribute to breakdancing culture in his own way is what ultimately gave Tang the idea for this project.


霹雳舞(Breakdancing),或被称为 Breaking 或 B-boying,最早从 B-boy 社区的街头暗号逐渐影响至整个舞蹈界, 也被认为是嘻哈文化的重要组成部分之一。Johnny 喜欢霹雳舞已接近 20 多年的时间,在他看来,霹雳舞不仅是一种舞蹈形式,还是竞争和社区精神的体现,更是高超的运动神经与创意相结合…….这些都是霹雳舞的魅力所在。

Johnny 说:“霹雳舞场景如今之所以在全球呈现出非常多元的样子,正是因为社区之间强烈的竞争感。不管你来自哪里,或看起来是好是坏,人们只关心你水平如何。唯一重要的,是你在这个圈子的付出。” Johnny 渴望自己能为霹雳舞圈子出一份力,也是他最终选择完成这一组系列摄影的原因。

Even though style, aesthetics, and innovation have always been central to b-boy culture, the creativity required of dancers is often underestimated. Tang’s series looks to change these misconceptions and demonstrate the expressive range of the human form. The participating dancers, shot across Boston and New York, were given free rein to show off their arsenal of original moves in front of his camera.

The project is, in a way, also a visualization of each dancer’s creative process. “More often than not, for a dancer to come up with a signature move, they try a lot of variants,” he explains. “The image I create at the end often just shows all of these variations at once.”


风格、美感和创新是 B-boy 文化的核心,Johnny 则希望通过肢体的各种形态,传达常被人们忽视的创意一面。这组照片的拍摄过程跨越纽约与波士顿,参与拍摄的舞者在镜头前大显身手,炫耀各自的招牌动作。

他的作品像是将每一帧定格画面组合在一起,捕捉舞者完成整套动作的过程。他解释说:“通常,舞者在完成招牌动作之前,都会放出各种姿势作为铺垫。我的作品就将这些不同的动作统统呈现在一副画面里。”

When Tang first began the project, he found inspiration in an unlikely place. “My family isn’t particularly religious, but being Asian, Buddhism has always been a part of my cultural identity,” he says. “I remembered a story about the Thousand-armed Guanyin, which my mother told me when I was a child. Its many arms signified the different powers it possessed. With this story in mind, I began imagining what type of dance moves would be possible with multiple limbs. These daydreams ended up becoming a central motif of the project.”

The influence of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin is hard to miss. In the series, Tang revisits the multi-exposure technique that he first experimented with in World of One to attach multiple sets of legs and arms to each dancer. The resulting composites are surreal, evoking imagery of the omnipotent deity while distilling the energy, personality, and finesse required of the sport into single snapshots.


开始创作这个项目时,Johnny 的灵感算是不期而来的。他说:“我并非来自一个典型的宗教家庭,但对于亚洲人来说,佛教一直是我们文化中的一部分。记得小时候母亲讲述一个关于千手观音的故事,她告诉我‘千手’其实代表了不同力量的展现。这让我开始联想,假如一个人有很多手,究竟可以做出怎样的舞蹈动作。这个想法在后来成为了项目的主题。”

千手观音的故事对整个系列的影响不可小觑。为了达到三头六臂的效果,Johnny 尝试了多重曝光的技巧,把繁复的拳脚功夫的通过重曝呈现在舞者身上,充满了超现实之感。而之前,他的《World of One》系列作品也用过​同样的手法。​这样的创作方式,不但会令你联想到千手观音的古老意象,又将霹雳舞所蕴含的活力、个性和技巧浓缩在一张照片上。

Tang believes that his early exposure to breakdancing has molded him into the person he is today, and the project is his way of showing appreciation to the sport that’s helped him develop the strong work ethic that he now applies to every endeavor in life. “When I nailed my first power move, the sense of accomplishment was indescribable,” he recalls. “It was the first time in my life I had worked really hard for something and see It pay off. It’s a feeling I’ve been chasing ever since.”


Johnny 认为,霹雳舞塑造了他强烈的个性,并希望将自己对舞蹈的热爱融入这个项目中。同时,霹雳舞又培养了强烈的职业道德精神,影响着生活的方方面面。他回忆说:“当我用快门按下第一个大地板动作(power move)时,那种成就感无法用语言来形容。这是我人生中第一次真正为某件事努力,并且看到了成果。那种感觉是我在日后一直所追逐的。”

Like our stories? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Website: www.johnnytangphoto.com
Instagram: @johnnytangphoto

 

Contributor: David Yen
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


喜欢我们的故事?欢迎关注我们 Neocha 的微博微信

 

网站: www.johnnytangphoto.com
Instagram: @johnnytangphoto

 

供稿人: David Yen
英译中: Olivia Li

Good Things Come in Threes 好事成“三”

July 22, 2020 2020年7月22日

The power of three is all around us.

It’s a recurring motif in religions across the world: the Holy Trinity in Christianity, the Trimurti in Hinduism, and the three marks of existence in Buddhism, just to name a few. Even in art and photography, the rule of thirds governs visual balance. Other fields—such as writing, science, comedy, philosophy, music, and more—all rely on similar triplicities. Human minds seem to thrive on these types of patterns.

Chengdu-based graffiti artist Fan Pang, best known by his moniker Fansack, doesn’t pretend to fully understand the significance of the rule of thirds, but his work wholly embraces it. Fan—in his pursuit to find meaning within traditional and contemporary symbols—blends Eastern philosophy, religion, and science to create vibrant murals populated by stoned astronauts, zen monkeys, and pensive priests. In doing so, he kneels at the altar of pop culture and offers audiences a heady tribute to what we’ve always known to be true: good things come in threes.


“3” 的力量无处不在。

世界各地的宗教文化中,经常出现 “3” 这个数字:基督教的三位一体、印度教的三神一体以及佛教的三法印等等。在艺术和摄影方面,则有构图平衡的三分法原则。至于诸如写作、科学、喜剧、哲学、音乐等其他领域,也有类似与 “3” 有关的理念。“3” 似乎是一个能激发人们丰富想像的数字。

成都涂鸦艺术家庞凡(Fansack)虽未自诩,却已参透 “3” 这个数字的玄妙,他的作品充满了各种 “3” 的寓意。在探索各种传统与现代符号的意义中,Fansack 融合东方哲学、宗教和科学,创作出活力四溢的壁画,宇航员、充满禅意的猴子和沉思的僧侣是他的作品中经常出现的形象。他借鉴流行文化的元素,向观众展示着众所周知的真理:好事成‘三’。

Graffiti, Hip-Hop, and Youth Culture

Now 31 years old, Fan has graced the streets of Sichuan with his spray-paint creations since his teenage years. The difference now is that his art is no longer considered vandalism. With over 100 murals in Chengdu alone, including brand collaborations and commissions from the local government, he’s lost track of how many walls he’s painted throughout the country. It’s an ironic twist for Fan, who in his younger years was used to being chased off by security guards before even finishing a piece.

With the proliferation of hip-hop culture in the mainstream by way of TV shows such as The Rap of China and Hot-Blooded Dance Crew, his art—and street art in general—has become a lot less faux pas in China. Fansack is now the biggest name in street art south of the Yangtze River.


涂鸦、嘻哈和青年文化

 

今年 31 岁的 Fansack 从少年时代就游走于四川街头,创作涂鸦作品。和以前相比,现在唯一的区别是他在创作时不会再被当作破坏公物来对待。单是在成都,他就创作了 100 多幅壁画作品,包括品牌合作和受当地政府委托的创作,连他自己也数不清在全中国到底创作过多少副壁画作品。这对 Fansack 来说挺有讽刺意味的,毕竟在他年少的时候,常常还没完成创作就要被保安赶走。

随着《中国有嘻哈》和《热血街舞团》等电视节目的热播,嘻哈文化在中国主流社会越来越流行,Fansack 的艺术作品,或者说整体的街头艺术,已经不像以往那样 “上不了台面”。Fansack 也一跃成为江南地区最著名的街头艺术家。

Within the last decade, Chengdu has proven to be fertile grounds for hip-hop. From street art to rap music, the region’s hip-hop culture has even garnered international recognition after the success of acts linked to Chengdu Rap House (CDC), such as the Higher Brothers and Wang Yitai. With the Sichuan hip-hop community as tight as ever, everyone—from rappers to street artists—seem to be spurred on by the success of one another.


在过去十年间,成都肉眼可见地成为了嘻哈文化重镇。在成都说唱会馆(CDC)的 Higher Brothers、王以太等人的推波助澜下,成都从街头艺术到说唱音乐都获得了国际范围的认可。四川嘻哈圈子之间一贯的紧密联系,让每一个人的成功都成为了彼此的激励。

Beneath the dimly lit basement of Club Nox, one of the most popular hip-hop venues in Chengdu, is Fan’s studio. Inside, a mural of the Higher Brothers—who appear as a quartet of aliens doing the dab—cover a wall. “Some of my closest friends are musicians, like the Higher Brothers, Bohan Phoenix, and Wang Yitai; we all know each other,” he says. “I’m actually working on an album cover for Wang Yitai right now. My studio is right down the hall from his producer, Harikari.”


灯光昏暗的地下室 Club Nox,是成都最著名的嘻哈聚集地之一,也是 Fansack 的工作室。在工作室的一幅壁画上,Higher Brothers 以外星人的形象,做着 Dab 手势。“我的很多好朋友都是音乐人,譬如 Higher Brothers、Bohan Phoenix 和王以太,我们彼此都认识。”他说,“事实上我正给王以太创作专辑封面。从我的工作室出去,穿过走廊就是他的制作人 Harikari 的工作室。”

Past, Present, and Future

Fansack is a firm follower of Eastern philosophies, such as Taoism and Buddhism, and his artwork often features spiritual motifs, which range from lotus flowers to reclining Buddhas. “I trust karma,” he says. “When you plant a seed with your consciousness, it will blossom one day, with or without your consent. So what kind of fruit do you want later?” 

Fansack’s journey as an artist began with a conscious decision to grow his own creative seed. He was introduced to street art through watching the documentary 20 Years of Graffiti in Paris (2004) and became hooked. When graffiti legend Cyril Kongo came to China, he even flew to Shenzhen to meet him. In the following years, he moved to France to study art, where he earned a master’s degree from Sorbonne University and a name for himself within Europe’s fine-art circuit. As more galleries began to take notice of his work, Fansack had the opportunity to not only personally meet the street-art legends he looked up to, but also work alongside them.


过去、现在和未来

 

Fansack 是一位坚定的道教和佛教等东方哲学追随者,他的作品中常常出现各种带有宗教色彩的元素,如荷花和卧佛。Fansack 说:“我相信因果报应。当你在意识里种下一颗种子,它总会有开花的一天,不论你愿不愿意。所以你要想想,以后究竟想得到什么样的果?”

Fansack 成为艺术家也源于他在意识里埋下的一颗 “种子”。他第一次认识街头艺术是在观看《巴黎涂鸦 20 年》(2004)这部纪录片的时候,看完后,他就迷上了街头艺术创作。当传奇涂鸦艺术家 Cyril Kongo 来中国时,他甚至专门飞到深圳去见他。随后几年,Fansack 移居法国,修读艺术专业,获得了索邦大学 (Sorbonne University) 的硕士学位,并在欧洲艺术圈子闯出一席之地。随着越来越多的画廊关注他的作品,Fansack 有机会结识自己崇拜的传奇街头艺术家,还与他们展开过合作。

As both an artist and an entrepreneur, Fansack operates with a business savviness that many artists lack: he always expects greater returns on his efforts. Although pop-culture and consumerism are themes prevalent in his work, they’re often rendered through a lens of playful humor instead of criticism. Popular Chinese children’s cartoons can be seen holding designer bags and with a third eye on their foreheads as if enlightened by their consumerism. Buddhas sip Cola-Cola and recline with VR headsets, astronauts lounge about with cups of KFC coffee, and monkeys don Supreme-branded robes. “I always consider my market, always,” Fansack says. “So many street artists think we should stay underground. . .and I respect that. But with age, we should also grow and adapt.” 

To Fansack, art is all about balance, and he refuses to be consumed by ego, money, or rigid ideologies.


作为一名包揽创作和主办的艺术家,Fansack 身上有许多艺术家都缺乏的商业细胞:他希望自己的作品能获得更多的回报。虽然流行文化和消费主义是他作品中常见的主题,但他通常都是以幽默的方式呈现出来,而不是加以批判。在他的作品里,熟悉的中国卡通角色,拎着名牌包,额头画着第三只眼睛,仿佛寓意消费主义对他们带来的启发;在另一幅作品中,头戴 VR 耳机的佛陀正侧卧一旁,享受着杯中的可乐;宇航员在休息室里喝着肯德基咖啡;猴子身披 Supreme 的长袍。Fansack 说:“市场是我一直都会考虑的问题。很多街头艺术家认为我们要保持地下创作,我完全尊重这一点。但随着年龄渐长,我们也应该学着成长和适应。”

对于 Fansack 而言,艺术在于平衡,他拒绝被自我、金钱或呆板的意识形态所局限。

Art, Religion, & Science

For Fansack, art, religion, and science are lenses in which people can “discover the meaning of life, the meaning of the universe, and the relationship between ourselves and nature.” He captures this pursuit of greater understanding in his art. For example, in Enter the Oeil, he paints Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, nuclear physicist Albert Einstein, and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi as three parts of the same head. Each individual holds their own unique path toward ultimate truth, which is often symbolized in his artwork as the third eye. Likewise, the role of aliens, astronauts, and monks as frequent cast members in his artistic landscape are interchangeable. In one work, an alien might be dressed in priest robes; in another, a baby’s umbilical cord might be swapped with a space tether; and in yet another, an astronaut lounges in a traditional Tibetan bed. By splicing iconography in this fashion, Fansack doesn’t discount the notion that different truths can co-exist parallel to one another.


艺术、宗教与科学

 

Fansack 认为,艺术、宗教和科学是人们 “发现生命与宇宙的意义,探索人类与自然之间关系” 的方式。他在作品中诠释了这种对艺术的宏观认识。例如,在《入眼》这幅作品中,他描绘了中国艺术家艾未未、物理学家阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦和精神领袖圣雄甘地,将三人的面孔重叠在一幅画面里。这三个人都以自己的方式去追寻着终极的真理。在他的作品中,他经常以第三只眼睛来象征终极的真理。此外,他作品中常见的外星人、宇航员和僧侣形象常常互换身份,外星人可能穿着僧侣的长袍;婴儿的脐带可能是太空缆索;宇航员可能躺在传统的西藏床上。通过不同图像元素的拼接,Fansack 传达出一个信念:即使真理不同,也可以共存。

Stop, Look, and Listen

Taoism versus Capitalism, religion versus reason, collective versus self—Fansack’s art is full of opposing viewpoints. Yet, in painting contradictions in such a casual, approachable style, he offers the average person an entry point into these deeper concepts.

Whether on a busy commute or in an upscale art gallery, the universal charm of Fan’s art is perhaps its accessibility. For patient observers, his artwork reveals a multitude of parallel universes rich in symbolism. But even if you can only spare a brief glance upwards from a busy sidewalk in Chengdu, that’s okay, too.


停下来,看一看,听一听

 

道教与资本主义,宗教与科学,集体与个人 —— Fansack 的作品中充满了对立的概念。然而,通过以一种轻松随意的风格来描画这些对立概念,他的作品为大众提供一个切入点,去探索这些更宏观的哲学概念。

无论是在人来人往的路边或在高档的艺术画廊,Fansack 艺术作品的魅力或许就源于其平易近人的风格。耐心的观众能从他的作品中发现充满丰富象征意义的平行宇宙。但即便你只是匆匆地过路成都的街道,偶尔抬头看到他的作品,也是别有一番滋味的享受。

Like our stories? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Instagram: @fansack
Weibo: ~/fansackart

 

Contributors: Rorí Mencin
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


喜欢我们的故事?欢迎关注我们 Neocha 的微博微信

 

Instagram: @fansack
Weibo: ~/fansackart

 

供稿人: Rorí Mencin
英译中: Olivia Li

The Other Side 你以为看到的朝鲜都是真的?

July 20, 2020 2020年7月20日

There’s only so much a foreigner can do in North Korea, and Matt Kuleuzs has done most of it plus more—including partying with villagers in the isolated province of North Hamgyong. He’s been to the country over sixty times and shot a body of work that offers a considerate look into the secretive nation.

Kuleuzs’s interest in North Korea started in his hometown of Melbourne, where his studies in international affairs focused on East Asia. The more he learned about the country, the more infatuated he became—North Korea soon grew into an obsession. 


在朝鲜,外国人能做的事情屈指可数;Matt Kuleuzs 几乎将外国人在朝鲜能做的事情都做遍了,还曾在偏远的咸镜北道与村民一起参加派对。他已经去过朝鲜六十多次,期间拍摄了大量的照片,让人们得以一窥这个神秘国家的真实面貌。

Matt 在家乡墨尔本攻读东亚地区国际事务时,对朝鲜产生了浓烈的兴趣。随着对朝鲜的了解加深,他越来越想去了解这个国家。

His first visit to the country was on a 12-day tour through Young Pioneer Tours, one of the few agencies specializing in North Korea. Before his return home, he had already decided to be part of their team as a tour guide as soon as he graduated.

In his three years working as such, Kuleuzs had an unparalleled opportunity to travel through eight out of the nine North Korean provinces, multiple times, through paved and—most of the time—unpaved roads.  One of the most interesting destinations for him was Kaesong. Unlike most of the cities in the north, Kaesong wasn’t as affected by air raids during the Korean War, and with its thatched-roofs and various heritage sites still preserved, it was a valuable look into the history and culture of the unified peninsula.


他第一次到访朝鲜是通过参加 Young Pioneer Tours 为期 12 天的旅游——这是提供赴朝鲜旅游的少数机构之一。旅游结束之前,Matt 就下定决心在毕业后加入团队,成为一名导游。

三年期的导游工作为 Matt 提供了难得的机会,遍访朝鲜九个省中的八个省,除了基建良好的城市,他也造访了落后的乡村僻野。对他来说,最有趣的朝鲜城市之一是开城。不同于朝鲜北部的大多数城市,开城在朝鲜战争期间并未受到空袭的影响,至今依然保留着茅草屋顶和各种历史遗址,为了解这个朝鲜半岛国家的历史和文化提供了宝贵的窗口。

There’s a stark contrast between what he saw in the rural areas and the capital. Pyongyang had three-fourths of its infrastructure wiped out during the war, and much of the city was reconstructed in a Stalinist style.

“Pyongyang is meticulously planned,” Kuleuz says.“The distance between the Workers Party Foundation Monument, with the big hammer, sickle, and paintbrush, and the Mansudae Grand Monument, with the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, is exactly 2.16 kilometers. It was conceived as a tribute to Kim Jong Il’s birthday on February 16.


朝鲜的农村地区与首都城市形成了鲜明的对比。在战争期间,首都平壤有近四分之三的基础设施被彻底摧毁,之后大部分建筑都按照了斯大林主义风格进行重建。

Matt说:“平壤是一座经过精心规划的城市。由巨型的锤子、镰刀和画笔组成的建党纪念碑,与金日成和金正日雕像的万寿台大纪念碑之间的距离刚好为 2.16 公里,这代表了金正日的诞辰 2 月 16 日。”

“The city is grand: the brutalist soviet architecture sits alongside the new Jetsons-esque style of pastel buildings,” he adds. “The interiors are kitsch; you’ll find 1970’s carpet alongside floral murals, fake palm trees, fairy lights, and neon chandeliers. Things clash, but somehow it works.”


“这座城市看上去很宏伟,各种野兽派苏联建筑与风格柔和的新科技风并存,内部装潢华丽俗气:1970 年代的地毯搭配花卉壁画、人造棕榈、彩色灯光和霓虹吊灯。互不相搭的元素,却又莫名的和谐。”

Fashion is another fascinating facet of North Korean aesthetics. Away from the conformism of military attires and state-approved hairstyles, there’s color and texture, and it happens in an involuntary retro way. Kuleuzs points to the timelessness of the country’s female fashion as an example, describing it as “a secretary style, trapped somewhere between the 1960s and 1980s.”


人们的着装也是了解朝鲜美学的另一个有趣角度。除了一致的军装和国家标准的发型,服装的颜色和面料都透露着并非刻意为之的复古风。Matt 指出朝鲜女性经典风格的着装,将其描述为“上世纪六十年代至八十年代的秘书风格”。

From amusement parks to dolphinariums and countless museums, Pyongyang provides a variety of wholesome entertainment options. Even though the authorities enforce a nationwide nightly curfew, there are many bars and karaoke clubs. North Koreans also take advantage of the various national holidays—most of which relate to the party, the leaders, or the war—to gather in parks and celebrate.

“They love drinking, dancing, and singing,” Kuleuzs says. “Once, in an extremely off-the-beaten-path village by the Chilbo Mountains, the locals brought out a speaker, and we had a mini-rave around a bonfire on the beach to the sound of North Korean techno.”


从游乐园、海豚馆到各种各样的博物馆,平壤提供了各种的娱乐设施。虽然政府在全国实行宵禁,但仍能看到许多酒吧和卡拉 OK 俱乐部。除此之外,朝鲜人还喜欢趁各种国定假日(大部分都是与党、领导人或战争有关的假期)在公园聚会庆祝。

Matt说:“朝鲜人喜欢喝酒、跳舞和唱歌。有一次,在七宝山附近一个人迹罕至的小村庄,当地人拿了一个音箱,放着朝鲜当地的电子音乐,就在沙滩的篝火旁放举行了一场迷你的锐舞派对。”

North Korea’s stigma of being a closed and hateful society isn’t all true, Kuleuzs says. He’s found North Koreans to be humorous, curious, and utterly relatable. “North Koreans are proud, nationalistic, and very much into their leadership,” he says. “But I find the accusation that they are brainwashed automatons pretty naff. Their devotion is not very different from those of groups with specific religious beliefs.”

Kuleuzs admits that foreigners not being allowed to talk to the population at large is, to some extent, true. But on the occasions that it is possible to do so, like when visiting the Munsu Water Park, North Koreans are open and friendly.


Matt 说,外界称朝鲜是一个封闭和充满仇恨的社会,这种偏见并不完全真实。他所了解的朝鲜人风趣幽默,好奇心强,完全可以正常沟通。他说:“朝鲜人很自豪,充满民族主义,也非常尊重他们的领导。但是像外界将他们描述为被洗脑的机器人,这种说法就过分了。他们这种热爱跟那些宗教信仰的团体其实并没有太大区别。”

他承认,从一定程度上来说,朝鲜确实不允许外国人与大多数的民众交谈。但是也不是绝对的,例如参观文殊水上乐园 (Munsu Water Park)时,他遇到的朝鲜民众都很开放和友好。

“It’s pointless to expect conversations about how North Korea really is; it’s not going to happen,” he says. “Besides, there is so much more happening in their lives beyond politics. I prefer to speak to them about whatever I’d speak to my friends back home: relationships, movies, music, what would they do with a million dollars? Common ground things.”

With a unique perspective grounded in local life and not politics, Kuleuzs’ photographs pivot from the usual narrative around the country. They tear the homogeneous and largely misconceived image of North Korea and reveal its real character through the resilience, stoicism, and livelihood of its people. “Instead of Kim Jong Un pointing at things and goose-stepping soldiers in a military parade, I aim to capture the other side—the human side of the country,” he says.


Matt 说:“和当地人去谈论朝鲜现实的政治问题,这种对话毫无意义;也不会发生。况且,除政治之外,他们的生活中还有很多值得关心的事情。我宁愿像跟我国内的朋友那样,跟他们谈谈人际关系、电影、音乐的话题,或者是问他们有了一百万美元会做什么,这些有着共通点的话题。”

他的摄影作品从独特的视角,用镜头记录了朝鲜当地的日常生活而非政治问题。这些摄影作品打破了外界对朝鲜的同质化的、很大程度上被误解的刻板印象,展示出朝鲜人的坚韧品性和谋生之道,呈现了朝鲜的真实面貌。他说:“我不想拍摄金正恩在军事阅兵中指挥的样子或是正步走的士兵,我要拍摄的是朝鲜的另一面——朝鲜人们人性的一面。

Like our stories? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Instagram: @mattkulesza

 

Contributor: Tomas Pinheiro
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


喜欢我们的故事?欢迎关注我们 Neocha 的微博微信

 

Instagram: @mattkulesza

 

供稿人: Tomas Pinheiro
英译中: Olivia Li

You Might Also Like你可能会喜欢