All posts by leon

A Road Trip in Tibet

June 30, 2016 2016年6月30日

Having lived in mainland China for over six years, I had always wanted to travel to Tibet. For many casual travellers, it is a remote region of the world, both vast and harsh – and in many ways, also not without its own share of obstacles to access. Its allure, while partly from the pure natural beauty of its wild terrain, lies also in the mysterious culture of the nomadic Tibetan people and its folklore; the romance and spirituality of Tibet inspire an irrepressible kind of wanderlust.


身居中国已有六年光景,在这六年里,我从不曾断过前往西藏的念头。对于很多一般的游客而言,西藏都是世界上遥远的一方天地,在很多方面,包括进入藏区本身,都让它都显得既广袤又粗粝。它的无穷魅力,不仅来自它原生纯净大自然的美,也来自游牧藏民的乡土人情,和西藏那让无数旅人神往不已的传奇和灵性。

Landing in Lhasa Gonggar Airport, it can easily feel like you have arrived at the top of the world. The approach to the remote airport takes you over miles and miles of spectacular mountains which dramatically reveal themselves through atmospheric layers of clouds. The name Lhasa means “place of the gods” and the city itself is one of the highest in the world. Situated in the center of the Tibetan Plateau, the city has an elevation of approximately 3,600 meters. Even upon landing, the air can feel noticeably thin; it has about 35-40% less oxygen than at sea level, which for many travellers, can contribute to altitude sickness and shortness of breath.


当飞机降落在拉萨贡嘎机场时,常让人有种到达世界之巅的感觉。 要来到这个万里之外的机场,你需要飞过绵亘不断的崇⼭峻岭,这些山在层峦叠嶂的云层中隐现,美不胜收。拉萨在藏语里就是指神居住的地方。这个全球海拔最高的城市位于青藏高原中⼼,平均海拔约3600米。飞机落地的那一霎那,就能明显感觉到空气的稀薄。这里的含氧量低于海平面含氧量35%-40%,这也是造成大多数登山者出现高原反应、呼吸急促的原因。

Driving into the city proper, we passed through the Chinese-built quarter; a curious mix of half-finished high-end shopping malls, modern hotels and restaurants, it at first resembles almost any second-tier city in mainland China. But once inside the old Tibetan quarter, a far more interesting and authentic part of the city with its byzantine alleyways and side streets, visitors can still get a sense of some of the medieval markets and street life that used to exist in Lhasa’s old town.


驱车进入市区时,我们经过了一个汉族化城区,那里奇妙地汇聚了许正在建造的高端商场 、现代酒店和餐厅,乍眼看去,和中国大陆很多二线城市并无二致。但当渐渐深入西藏传统老区时,这个城市的另一面便展现了出来:带着拜占庭式的蜿蜒巷道和小街让人们仿佛穿越到了中世纪的市场,感受拉萨古镇曾经的市井百态。

The holiest city in Tibet, Lhasa is known for its ancient monasteries and Buddhist temples. Its most iconic structure is the Potala Palace, the former chief residence of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa, which is famously depicted on the back of the Chinese 50 yuan banknote. Perched impressively like a fortress on a hill, the Potala is the highest ancient palace in the world and is an important symbol of Tibetan culture and history. Buddhist pilgrims, who come from all over Tibet to travel to Lhasa, will come to pay homage to the royal palace by walking clockwise around the entire estate. Pilgrims can often be seen circling the Jokhang Temple in Barkhor Square just nearby, performing a curious repetitive ritual of prostrating themselves on the ground and advancing forward a step. It is not uncommon for some to prostrate all the way from their hometown to Lhasa, a feat which can reportedly take up to two years to achieve. For these devout Tibetans, this tantric ritual of performing these tens of thousands of prostrations serves as a means to overcome one’s pride and achieve nirvana.


作为西藏圣城,拉萨的古代寺院和佛教寺庙举世闻名。其中最具标志性的建筑当属布达拉宫,那曾是拉萨达赖的主要居所,也是中国50元币值人民币背后的图案。布达拉宫依山而建,从外观上看,宛若巨大的堡垒,它是世界上海拔最高的古代宫殿,也是藏族历史和文化的重要标志。整个西藏的佛教教徒都会来拉萨朝圣,为了致敬圣殿,朝圣者会环绕着布达拉宫的四周顺时针行走。在八廓街附近的大昭寺还能常常看到有的朝圣者进行磕拜仪式,磕拜时五体投地,而后向前一步,继续认真地重复着这一仪式。还有一些朝圣者以这样的磕拜仪式一路从家乡来到拉萨,这样盛大的朝圣之行据说会花上两年时间。但对于虔诚的藏民们来说,这个需要无数三步一磕,艰难匍匐而行的密宗仪式,能够攻克人的骄傲之心,最后达到涅槃境界。

Lhasa is often referred to by the locals as the “sunlit city”. On the day we visited Sera Monastery, on the northern outskirts of the city, the complex was bathed in abundant, warm sunlight. A place of learning for Tibetan monks, the monastery is known as one of the best locations in Tibet to observe outdoor debating sessions of Buddhist doctrines among the monks. Set in the “debating courtyard” outside the main assembly hall, the sessions are based on lively philosophical exchanges between questioners and defenders. The defenders, usually junior monks, are seated, while the questioners test their knowledge of Buddhist scripture. The questions posed are often punctuated by dramatic hand slapping gestures, a prompt for the seated monk to respond. Sera Monastery, along with Drepung Monastery, which we also visited on the same day, are among the important “great three” university monasteries for Tibetan Buddhism.


拉萨常被当地人作为日光城。在我们参观位于拉萨北部郊区色拉寺的那天,整个环境沐浴在充沛温暖的阳光之中。寺院是西藏僧侣学习修行的地方,也是聆听僧侣们在户外辩论佛教教义的最佳场所之一。僧侣们在主寺外的辩经场上进行辩经,也可视为是一场主要由诘问者和应对者之间的哲学交流。应对者多为得道高僧,席地而坐,面对诘问者关于佛教教义的挑战。问题通常伴随着夸张的拍手动作而提出,等待着静坐的高僧回答。色拉寺,以及我们在同一天参观的哲蚌寺,都属于藏传佛教最重要的三大寺院之列。

The following morning, we prepare to head out to Shigatse, a five hour drive from Lhasa. Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet – but with a population of only 12,000, it is actually quite small by Chinese standards. It is home to the beautiful Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Danchen Lamas. Behind the monastery is a hill lined with rows of Tibetan prayer wheels and small shrines, leading upwards to a stunning view of the Shigatse Dzong. Resembling a smaller prototype of the Potala in Lhasa, the original structure of Shigatse Dzong was completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, and later reconstructed in 2005. After a short stay in Shigatse, we continued on to Everest the next day.


第二天一早,我们准备前往离拉萨五小时车程的日喀则。日喀则是西藏的第二大城市,但只有1.2万的人口,想想中国庞大的人口基数,这个城市的人口数量实在是太少。历世班禅大师驻锡之所——美如画的扎什布伦寺就在日喀则。寺院背靠高山,山上一排排西藏转经筒和小佛龛,将视线拉延伸至日喀则宗堡的迷人风光。日喀则宗堡又称为小布达拉宫,但其原建筑在文化大革命中毁于一旦,2005年才得以重建。在日喀则短暂停留后,我们第二天就前往珠穆朗玛峰。

The journey to Everest Base Camp was a time-consuming and tiring one. From the city of Shigatse, it is an additional eight hours by car, often happening on long and winding roads at increasingly higher altitudes, and with frequent checkpoints. The journey for us passed by quickly as there was no shortage of distractions along the way: yaks and sheep grazing in a largely uninhabited Tibetan plateau, dramatic vistas of mountains and slopes, serene lakes and reservoirs – even a few glaciers, and finally as we neared our final destination, snow-capped peaks. When Everest first reveals itself to us, it is truly a breathtaking sight: a lone snow-capped peak far off in the distance, shrouded in mist.


前往珠峰大本营的行程真是耗时又耗体。从日喀则出发,需要开八小时的车,并且路途大多既长又曲折,海拔还相当高,并频繁遇到检查站。不过沿途别致的风情到让我们觉得时间过得挺快的:牦牛和绵羊在大片大片的西藏高原无人区悠闲啃草,巍峨高山、陡峭峻岭、宁静湖泊和广阔水库拼接而成的壮丽景观,还有几处的冰川之美……而当我们最终接近目的地的时候,白雪皑皑的山峰印入眼帘,珠穆朗玛峰就这样出现在我们身前,雪峰独立自傲,直入云霄,雾霭环绕,美得动人心弦。

5,150 meters above sea level, Everest Base Camp is a rudimentary campsite used by mountain climbers ascending and descending Mount Everest. Just a short hike away is the lesser known Rongbuk Monastery, which is claimed to be the highest monastery in the world. Though much of its original structure was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, a lot of it was later restored. Rongbuk’s small, underground and cave-like shrine is a marvel, and the monastery’s view of the north side of Mount Everest is worth a visit in itself.


珠峰大本营位于海拔5150米上,装备简陋,供珠峰登山者和下山者临时使用。离这里不远就是鲜为人知的绒布寺,号称世界上海拔最高的寺庙。虽然寺庙诸多原始建筑在文革中遭到毁坏,但多数在后来的年间又得以修复。 绒布寺里位于下层,宛若洞穴的小神殿就像高山里的奇迹,光是从这里眺望珠峰北侧的壮 美之景,就足以吸引人来此一探。

After a night at Everest Base Camp and a short return to Shigatse, we set out for Namtso, also called Lake Nam, which is considered a holy lake in Tibet. There are five islands in the lake which pilgrims used to make spiritual pilgrimages to by walking over the frozen lake in the winter. They would then spend the year there until the following winter when the lake would freeze again. The weather famously changes rather quickly at Namtso; there was even a small threat of a snowstorm from the other side of the lake on the day we were there. After a day of exploring, we stayed overnight at the Namtso Holy Lake Guest House, a modest but fairly comfortable place with charming wall-to-wall Tibetan decorations, before setting out again for Lhasa.


在珠峰大本营过了一夜之后,我们便折回日喀则,准备前往纳木错。纳木错也叫“天湖”,是西藏圣湖之一。湖中有五个岛屿,朝圣者过去曾在这里冬天冰冻的湖面上前行,进行着他们的朝圣仪式。随后,他们会在这里呆上一整年时间,待到第二年冬天湖面再次冻结。纳木错的天气是出了名的变幻莫测,在我们停留期间,湖侧一座雪山下了一场暴雪,所幸有惊无险。一日的风尘仆仆之后,我们在纳木错神湖宾馆过夜歇脚,这个地方的墙上尽是藏族装饰,虽简陋却也相当舒适。翌日,我们便启程重返拉萨。

Our last couple days in Lhasa marked the beginning of the rainy season, when there is typically heavy rainfall almost every night in Tibet. Leaving Lhasa in the middle of a downpour, at that precise moment, felt like a very fitting ending to an unforgettable adventure. After a long day of transfers and on arriving back in Shanghai, it took another week just to decompress and digest all the experiences from the trip. I was home, but still completely mystified by the mysterious ways of the Tibetans.


我们在拉萨的最后几日即是西藏雨季的开始,这个时节的西藏几乎夜夜滂沱。离开拉萨时的倾盆大雨,在那一刻,却也让人觉得,是这场奇遇的一个完美句号。在几经辗转了一天后回到了上海,而接下来的一周都让人反复回味着这整个旅程。人已在家中,却仍沉浸于在藏族的神秘中不能自拔。

Contributor & Photographer: Leon Yan


供稿人与摄影师: Leon Yan

ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival

June 21, 2016 2016年6月21日

ShanghaiPRIDE was China’s first LGBTQ pride season, and is now currently in its eighth consecutive year of supporting and celebrating the local Chinese LGBTQ community. An entirely volunteer-led organisation, ShanghaiPRIDE constantly strives to make sure that they are representing the queer community in China properly, while also aiming to organize events and present film programming which is fresh, challenging, and meaningful for its audience.


上海骄傲节是中国第一个为女同性恋者、男同性恋者、双性恋者、跨性别者、和酷儿组成的LGBTQ群体所举办的庆典,至今已连续第八年为中国本土的性少数群体支持呐喊。上海骄傲节完全由志愿者领导组织,一直致力于确保以合适的方式为中国的酷儿群体发声。除此之外,上海骄傲节也组织活动,为观众呈献新鲜、有冲击力且意义非凡的电影。

According to ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival coordinator and programmer Matthew Baren, “film is an important part of the queer movement in China” as many LGBTQ activists in China are filmmakers, who function by documenting lives and revealing voices. Matthew says, “we see cinema as something which can engage with and challenge people, not just entertain. Narratives have power.”

上海骄傲电影节的协调人与设计者Matthew Baren说:电影是中国酷儿运动十分重要的部分,许多性少数群体活动家是电影制片人,他们通过纪录生活和展示诉求来形成影响,他还表示,我们认为,电影不仅能娱乐大众,还能渗透人心,挑战观众的固有想法。叙事是拥有力量的。

The eighth annual ShanghaiPRIDE is already currently underway, with ten days of cultural, social and educational events starting on June 17th, with a closing event on the 26th. For this year, ShanghaiPRIDE’s theme is “I Am Me”, which is an “affirmation that everyone should hold, regardless of gender, sexuality or other forms of identity,” says ShanghaiPRIDE Director Raymond Phang. The film festival is further celebrating GENDER in this year’s program, with films on transgender, non-binary and agender people, as well as a special focus on queer women.


眼下,第八届上海骄傲节正在如火如荼地进行中,617日开幕,26日闭幕,在这10天中,各种文化、社会及教育活动相继登场。今年,上海骄傲节的主题是生为平常 其总策划Raymond Phang认为,生为平常是一个每个人都该认可的认知,无论性别、性向或社会身份。今年,电影节进一步展现不同的性别,拍摄了跨性别者、非传统男女性别者、无性别者与女性酷儿的故事。

In 2016, ShanghaiPRIDE will be screening around 40 films in total: 20 films in the short films competition; alongside nine feature films, including a 20th anniversary screening of Zhang Yuan’s East Palace, West Palace ; 11 curated short films from Pakistan, Myanmar and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region; and also some of the biggest international hits of the past year.


2016年上海骄傲节总计将有40部影片参展:短篇竞赛单元有20部,同时还有9部故事片,包括张元执导的《东宫西宫》也在此次活动上进行20周年重映;有11部参展影片来自巴基斯坦、缅甸以及其他亚太地区国家;另外,去年造成国际轰动的部分影片也会在此重返银屏。

The festival seeks to support Chinese queer filmmakers, and have spent the past two years developing a network of festivals all around the world to help promote films from the short film competition to an international audience. In addition to a few exciting Chinese film premieres in this year’s program, ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival will also host their first Queer Film Conference Day on June 25th, which will include a series of talks by filmmakers and distributors aimed at aspiring queer filmmakers, content creators or just film enthusiasts.


电影节旨在为中国的酷儿电影制片人提供支持,过去两年间,它在全世界建立了电影节网络,希望将短篇竞赛单元的电影推向世界观众的面前。今年,不仅几部令人激动的中国电影在此首映,上海骄傲电影节还将625日定为酷儿电影会议日,届时,将举办一系列讲座,由制片人与发行方主讲,酷儿电影制片人、内容创作者或仅仅是纯粹的电影爱好者都可以参加。

For more information about this year’s films, head over to the ShanghaiPRIDE website and download the full program for free. All screenings and events hosted by ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival are free and open to the general public. Be sure not to miss it!

想要了解更多今年的电影信息,请前往上海骄傲节的网站,免费下载完整版宣传册。上海骄傲电影节举办的所有活动与所有上映电影皆为免费,并对公众开放。请勿错过!

Websiteshpride.com/films
WeChat: Shanghai-PRIDE

 

Contributor: Leon Yan
Images
 Courtesy of ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival


网站shpride.com/films
微信: Shanghai-PRIDE

 

供稿人: Leon Yan
图片由上海骄傲电影节提供

The One You

May 27, 2016 2016年5月27日

 

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The One You are monthly planned urban retreats that take city dwellers and working professionals in China to select natural locations in Moganshan or Hangzhou for a rejuvenating weekend trip away from the city. During that time, participants take part in activities such as sessions of yoga, hiking along trails, farming with local villagers, enjoying healthy organic meals prepared by local chefs, and detoxing. In between the activities, there is also a lot of free time for those who simply want to relax and enjoy the weekend’s breathtaking scenery.


“一次旅行”,是个专注于提供国内外养生静修旅行产品的品牌, 带着城市居民和都市白领,回到大自然中,进行一场“逃离”,以健康静心为主题,唤活身心。目前,国内静修周末的行程包括: 瑜伽、冥想 、 沿路爬山、与当地农民劳作、享受由当地厨师准备的健康自然饭食,以及身心排毒。同时,也会留有大量的自由时间,为那些只想在周末好好放松和享受美景的人士而准备。

For Louise Zhang, the founder and organizer of The One You, the most important part of the weekend retreat is for people to relax. Participants can leave behind the stress and worries of their everyday lives back in the city. They are encouraged to leave behind their laptop computers and any electronic gadgets that usually tie them down to anything that is work-related. And in their place, the retreaters are encouraged to explore the natural surroundings around them, and to immerse themselves in yoga and meditation practices. For Louise, nature is the single most important element to these retreats – which is of course inextricably tied to the selected location of the retreat and the planned outdoor activities.


对于“一次旅行”的创立者Louise Zhang来说,这个周末静修最重要的部分就是放松身心,回归健康的生活。参与者得以把他们日常城市生活中的压力和烦恼通通抛之脑后。“一次旅行”鼓励大家把笔记本电脑,以及任何通常代表着工作相关的电子设备留在家里;他们鼓励参与者们探索身边的大自然环境,将自己沉浸在瑜伽和冥想中。对于Louise来说,大自然是静修重要的元素,人在自然中,本身就是一种疗愈。这诚然也是这些静修场地和户外活动规中划密不可分的一部分。

Currently based in Shanghai, Louise Zhang has worked in digital marketing for about eight years. After her stint working in Singapore, she started to participate in themed retreats throughout Southeast Asia. During that time, her travels took her to places like Thailand and Bali. Partaking in these seaside retreats led Louise to discover cleanse diets, scuba diving, and yoga; she says these activities were immensely rejuvenating for both her body and mind. Looking back now, Louise considers that time to have been a transformative period in her life.


目前居住在上海的Louise,曾从事数字营销工作八年。在新加坡工作之后,她开始在东南亚的海边体验不同主题的静修。在现在的她看来,那是她生命中具有转变意义的一段时光。当时的她四处旅行,在泰国和巴厘岛等地潜水,练习瑜伽,做排毒,享受静修给她带来的身心愉悦和治愈。

For some time, she felt an internal and existential conflict between her intellectual self and what she felt in her heart when experiencing these retreats. When Louise returned to Shanghai, she wanted to organize her own retreats to be able to share these kinds of experiences with her friends and colleagues. Part of her objective was to help spread a greater awareness about yoga. She feels that there are many preconceptions about yoga – in mainland China especially, where it is commonly seen as a form of exercise that mainly women do, that often involves being able to achieve difficult movements and positions. In other countries, yoga is practiced by both men and women, regardless of age and body type. Through these retreats, Louise hopes to demystify yoga and introduce it to many newcomers in China. Beginners and more advanced students of yoga alike are welcome to take part.


渐渐地,她似乎开始感受到大脑的理智判断和内心意愿总会产生冲突,同时也一点点看清内心真正追求的东西。当Louise回到上海,她开始自己组织静修活动,希望能够和更多的朋友分享这种体验。她也有些小私心,就是去帮助推动人们对瑜伽的更多认识。在中国大陆,她发现很多人对瑜伽还是陌生的,他们认为瑜伽是女性的运动,只关乎功克高难度的动作。而在其他国家,进行瑜伽锻炼的人,不管男女老少、不管何种身形的人都有,他们都将此看成了一种身心调和的方式。通过这些静修活动,她希望可以去除瑜伽的神秘,带更多人体验这种健康的生活方式。不管是瑜伽的初学者或较高阶练习者,“一次旅行”都一并欢迎。

In addition to the planned hiking trip and sessions of yoga, another activity during the retreat involves farming with local villagers. The remote Moganshan location is enshrouded by lush bamboo forests, and the locals from the rural community typically harvest bamboo from these wild forests on the mountains. During one of the afternoons, participants of the retreat are also shown how to do this, and later in the day, the bamboo shoots that they have gathered are cooked up by an on-site chef at the resort. Consistent with The One You’s back-to-the-basics philosophy, over the course of the weekend, retreaters are also invited to enjoy a healthy mix of organically farmed vegetarian meals and juice detoxing.


除了爬山活动和瑜伽锻炼等常规项目外,静修中还有另一个活动,那就是与当地村庄的农民一起劳作。比如这一次的莫干山静修 ——在偏远的莫干山,淹没在那些苍翠繁茂的竹林中,这些野生竹林,正是当地农民收割竹笋的地方。在其中的一个午后,参与者们跟农民学习如何挖笋,收获的这些竹笋再由驻场厨师烹烩。秉承着一贯的“回归自然,回归至简,回归自我”的哲学,在这个周末体验中,静修者们还将享用到健康搭配的有机种植素食,以及果汁排毒。

For the Moganshan retreat, one of the locations selected was a reclusive retreat called Zero. From the moment Louise saw its English name, she recognized how conceptually similar it was to what she was trying to achieve through her retreats. For her, the name Zero refers to the idea that we all originate from nothing, and in the end, we all also return to nothingness. Alternately, it also refers to how those who lead a busy and hectic life in the city will yearn to return to a simpler and slower-paced existence in the countryside.


在莫干山静修中,甄选出来的其中一个场地,是为叫做“Zero”的遁世寓所。Louise一看到它的英文名,她就意识到,在概念上,这与她尝试从一次旅行中获取的是如此相似。对于她来说,“Zero”这个名字代表着我们最初始于零最终仍归于零的这么一种概念。它同样指涉,人们在都市繁忙地过活时对乡村简朴的渴望。

These are all also important underlying themes to The One You retreats. In our fast-paced contemporary society – and especially in today’s rapidly developing China, it is very easy to get swept up in job stress, the latest technological thrills, and the unimportant worries of everyday life. Louise hopes that through these weekend getaways and increasing more awareness about yoga, the people who participate on these trips can learn to effectively unwind and disconnect. For her, this is the reason why she organizes these retreats, in the hope that people can experience going back to the basics and get more attuned to what their mind and body really need. In the near future, The One You is planning to organize more domestic retreats under different wellness themes – for example, intensive workouts, healthy dieting, clinical retreats, and yoga training. At the same time, they will also be able to recommend urban retreats that are overseas, offering more options for city dwellers in China seeking healthy and balanced holidays.


这些都是与“一次旅行”的宗旨是吻合的。在快节奏的当代社会,特别是在飞速发展的中国,我们总是轻易地陷入工作中的压力,迷恋对最新科技的兴奋,沉溺于日常生活中不必要的烦恼。Louise希望,通过这样的周末逃离以及对瑜伽的更多认识,参与到这样一次旅行的人们可以得到真正的健康体验和放松。对她来说,这就是她组织这些静修的意图。同时,她希望人们可以从中重新认识自己,看清内心的需求。接下来,“一次旅行”计划在国内组织更多健康主题的静修,例如:运动,素食,结合体检,瑜伽大师集训。与此同时,Louise将会将她在东南亚体验过的养生中心的产品带到中国,让更多人受益。

WeChat: TheOneYou-lz

 

Contributor & Videographer: Leon Yan
Photographer: David Yen


微信: TheOneYou-lz

 

供稿人与视频摄影师: Leon Yan
图片摄影师: David Yen

Memories & Dreams

April 14, 2016 2016年4月14日

Visual artist Saka Matsushita was born in Nagasaki, Japan, like both her parents, but grew up in Canada. Her artwork often explores her own personal identity and abstract narratives about memories. When she was 16, Saka randomly found a book in a school library about Victorian garment patterns. They fascinated her so much that this later inspired her to study Fashion Design at Ryerson University in Toronto. After her first year there, she decided that her true passion was in period costume, so she moved to London to study Costume at Wimbledon College of Art. After receiving a BA Hons in Costume Interpretation, Saka went on to get training at the Motley Theatre Design Course, a small independent post-graduate school run by professionals from the theatre industry.


松下沙花は、両親と同じく長崎生まれながら、カナダ育ちのビジュアルアーチストです。 その作品には自分のアイデンティティや、記憶にまつわる抽象的な物語を追求するも のが多くあります。16 歳の時に、学校の図書館でビクトリア時代の衣装の型紙に関す る本を偶然見つけます。その内容に魅了され、後にトロントのライアソン大学でファッ ションデザインを専攻するきっかけとなります。同大学で 1 年が過ぎた頃、本当に手掛 けたいものが時代物の衣装だと気づき、ロンドンのウィンブルドン・カレッジ・オブ・ア ートで衣装を学ぶようになります。衣装解釈で文学士(優等学位)を取得した後は、演 劇界のプロが運営する小規模な私立大学院のモトリーシアターデザインコースに進 みます。

For Saka, this was an exciting time in her life. She was just an 18 year old girl who had never travelled to Europe before and didn’t know anyone in London. Still for some reason, she thought the city was calling for her, and so she packed up her life and moved there. Saka says, “It was probably the best decision (that I could have made then). I would be a different person if I had never lived there. London was inspiring. It was full of colours, people who were driven, and every day for me was exciting.” She has since moved back to Tokyo and even though she now loves the place, at the time she felt completely lost. “I absolutely had no idea what I wanted to do anymore,” Saka tells us, “And then I started drawing every day. This daily routine turned into daily stress relief, and now it’s turned into a career path.”


これは、これまでの人生の中で一番胸を躍らせる時期となりました。当時はヨーロッ パに足を運んだこともない 18 歳で、ロンドンには知り合いもいませんでした。それにも 関わらず、なぜかその街に惹かれるものを感じ、人生をひっくり返すかのように移り住 んだのです。「あれは、おそらく(今までの中で)最良の決断だったでしょう。もしロンド ンで暮らすことがなければ、今の自分はなかったと思います。ロンドンは刺激を与え てくれる街でした。多種多様な色や何かに駆られるような人々であふれ、とても刺激 的な毎日でした」と言います。その後は東京に戻り、現在の住まいを気に入ってはい るものの、同時に戸惑いを感じるようになりました。「自分が何をしたいのかまるで分 からなくなったのです。そこで、毎日絵を描き始めるようになりました。この毎日の習 慣がストレスを和らげ、進路を切り開くきっかけになったのです」。

“Drawing was something I have always done, but more as a tool to communicate ideas rather than present it as a work of art,” Saka says. For her, the essential ideas of costume design and drawing are the same. “Many people think costume design is just like fashion styling, but it isn’t. It is thinking and imagining the life and story of a person. Of course it begins from very simple questions such as ‘where would this person shop’ or ‘what would she wear at night?’ – but when you really start to feel the characters, you start to think about their whole life and it was as if I was writing mini-stories about them that were not written in the script,” Saka explains. This thinking process is her favourite part of costume design, and for her, drawing is exactly the same thing.


「ずっとドローイングをしてきましたが、これは作品として発表するよりも、アイデアを伝 えるための手段だったのです」と言います。彼女は、衣装のデザインやドローイングの 本質的なアイデアを同じものとして捉えています。「衣装をデザインすることは、ファッ ションスタイリングと同じように捉える人も多いのですが、そうではありません。実際に は、一人の人間の人生と物語を考え、想像することです。『この人はどこで買い物をす るのだろう?』、『この女性は夜にどのような服を身につけるのだろう?』など、ごく単 純な質問が作品作りの第一歩となることは言うまでもありません。ただ、特徴を感じ始 めるようになるとその人物の一生涯を考えるようになり、それはあたかも脚本にはな い、その人物の短い物語を書いているかのような気分になります」と解説します。この 思考プロセスは、衣装をデザインする時の最も好きな点であり、まさにドローイングに 当てはまります。

These days, Saka mostly does drawings and illustrations. She uses monoprint the majority of the time, but in terms of the medium, it is varied. Her daily drawings are usually monotone monoprints, but Saka also has made a range of coloured works using the monoprint technique. It is difficult to describe all the details of her technique, but basically she makes an ink board, usually using black or navy ink. She then scratches the ink onto paper using colour pencils. In the process, Saka intentionally moves the paper to get different textures. Her work actually always has two sides: the colourful side, and the side with monotone ink only.


最近は、主にドローイングとイラストを手掛けています。ほとんどの場合にモノプリント を使いますが、素材は様々です。日々制作するドローイングにはモノトーンのモノプリントがよく見られますが、モノプリントの技巧を駆使した一連の色彩作品 も制作しています。技巧の全てを詳しく説明するのは簡単ではありませんが、基本は 黒や紺色のインクを使った墨板を作ることです。そこから、色鉛筆を使って紙の上にイ ンクを掻き出します。このプロセスでは、紙を意図的に移動させることで様々なテクス チャを表します。こうして作品は常に色鮮やかな一面と、モノトーンのインクのみを使 った二面性を持つようになります。

The main underlying theme of her drawings is memories. “I am very interested in memories and dreams,” Saka explains, “I am fascinated by how each individual processes and restores memories and what triggers them to remember those.” Her drawings tend to have narratives. In a way, she even makes a loose script and storyboard before she draws. The original ideas behind these stories come not just from her own personal experiences, but also from stories that friends tell her, from something she overhears on the radio, or even from a line of text she found in a book. It is not a full proper script – more like scribbles of words or just a few lines of quotes. Saka typically names her work after extracts from these writings.


ドローイングの根本的なテーマは『記憶』です。「記憶や夢にとても興味があります。 一人一人の人間が記憶を整理して取り戻す経緯や、記憶を呼び戻すきっかけとなる ものに興味を掻き立てられます」と解説します。ドローイングには物語性がよく見られ ます。見方によっては、絵を描き始める前に大まかな脚本や絵コンテさえも作ります。 これらの物語の背後にあるオリジナルのアイデアは、単に個人的な経験からだけで はなく、友人から聞いた話やラジオで耳にした話、さらには、本の一節から生まれたも のもあります。正確には完全な脚本を作るというわけではなく、むしろ言葉の走り書き や数行の引用文であったりもします。作品名は、これらのスクリプトから抜粋したもの がよく付けられています。

Saka admits, “I hate to be that person – you know ‘the Asian artist who grew up abroad who is searching for her identity and draws about it’, but it really is a huge part of my practice especially after I moved back to Japan.” In fact, she has been working on one piece ever since 2012 about that subject. The project is still a work in progress, so Saka doesn’t want to give away too many details. What she can reveal though is that it is a 3D art piece about her identity. Aside from this, Saka also hopes to do a show abroad soon, wants to illustrate a novel and some poetry, and simply to continue drawing.


「海外で育ち、自分のアイデンティティを探し求めてそれを絵にするアジアンアーチス トと思われるのが嫌です。ただ、実はこれこそが、特に日本に戻ってから実践内容の 大部分を占めています」と認めています。実際、2012 年以降はこれをテーマにした一 つの作品に取り組んでいます。この作品は現在も制作中のため、その詳しい内容に ついてはあまり明かそうとはしません。ただ、自分のアイデンティティを表す 3D 型のア ート作品になることは明かされています。それとは別に、現在の目標としては近々海 外で展覧会を開催したり、小説や詩集のイラストを手掛けたり、今後もドローイングを 続けていくことです。

Websitesakamatsushita.com
Facebook: ~/SakaMatsushita.ART
Tumblrsakamatsushita.tumblr.com
Instagram: @sakamat

 

Contributor: Leon Yan
Photographer: James Oliver


ウェブサイトsakamatsushita.com
Facebook: ~/SakaMatsushita.ART
Tumblrsakamatsushita.tumblr.com
Instagram: @sakamat

 

寄稿者: Leon Yan
フォトグラファー: James Oliver

Future Orients

April 8, 2016 2016年4月8日

 

无法观看?前往优酷

Future Orients is a new Chinese rock band from the Beijing label Maybe Mars, who’ve just finished recording their first album. Humbly self-described as just another ordinary four-man band, the group was born by chance when the four kindred spirits first met in a university dorm and discovered that they loved the same music. Their sound has been described as post-rock, post-punk, math rock, indie, and even dance – but guitarist Guo Zhen actually considers their sound to be more or less pop. Ultimately, he says, what they are aiming for is psychedelic disco, or just something with a beat that people could dance to.


Future Orients是一支中国的摇滚新乐队,隶属北京音乐厂牌Maybe Mars,新近完成了他们第一张专辑的录制。谦称自己只是一支普通四人乐队,他们的组合可谓诞生于大学寝室的偶然,几个同样热爱音乐的年轻人因为志趣相投走到了一起。外界常将他们的风格归为后摇、后朋、数学摇滚、独立音乐,甚至舞曲——但是吉他手果真认为他们的作品其实差不多就是流行乐。他说,最终他们的目标是要做迷幻的士高,或者只是可用来跳舞的音乐。

Take a listen to some select demo tracks from Future Orients:

Future Orients – Running (Demo)

Future Orients – Motto (Demo)

Future Orients – Idol (Demo)


以下为Future Orients新曲小样选集,欢迎试听:

Future Orients – Running (小样)

Future Orients – Motto (小样)

Future Orients – Idol (小样)

Their influences include Mogwai, PK14, DIIV, NEU!, Joy Division, Kraftwerk, and Pink Floyd, but the one band that they all seem to agree on is Foals, whose angular and methodically kinetic style of post-punk has clearly had a stylistic influence over the Future Orients’ sound. Lead singer and guitarist Yong, despite all of their rock influences, insists that the band know nothing about rock music and that that is not what the band makes. What Future Orients make is “sissy pop and middle-aged 70s disco music”, and what they are are just a pop group who like to write songs that are hard on the ears.


他们在音乐上受到Mogwai、PK14、DIIV、NEU!、Joy Division、Kraftwerk和Pink Floyd等乐队的影响,但所有成员一致认可的似乎是Foals。Foals后朋音乐中的生硬和有条不紊的跳跃在Future Orients的音乐中有着分明的风格影响。尽管受到来自这些摇滚乐队的相应,主唱兼吉他手阿勇坚持认为,自己的乐队对摇滚一无所知,并且它也不是乐队创作的内容。Future Orients创作的是“娘炮流行和中老年人迪斯科”,他们只是一支喜欢写难听歌曲的流行乐队。

We meet the band in their own basement studio under an apartment complex in West Beijing, where they rehearse all afternoon for an upcoming gig. Lead singer Yong tells us that, “Right now in China, things are pretty good. There are more festivals, gigs, and foreign musicians coming from abroad. It’s not a bad time to be in a band. People are taking copyright issues more seriously, and more money is being invested into the independent music scene. These are all good things.” The band admit that, despite just starting out in their short career, they haven’t really encountered too many challenges so far.


他们自己的工作室位于北京西边一处公寓小区里的地下室里,他们在这里为一个即将到来的演出排练了一下午,我们也在这里碰面了。主唱阿勇告诉我们: “现在中国都挺好的。音乐节多了,演出多了,国外过气大牌来的多了,最近版权问题搬上了台面是个好事。独立音乐圈也开始有资金流入,也是好事。” 乐队坦言,尽管他们在这条职业道路上刚刚起步,却迄今还未遇到过太多挑战。

Guitarist Guo Zhen says “the independent music scene here is improving all the time, and there are more and more opportunities (for us) to perform. Also more good bands from overseas come here now to play gigs, but if anything, the whole music environment and local rock scene here is not stimulating enough. It’s not as competitive as it is abroad where there are just so many great bands making great music. I prefer to be more stimulated. Because there are far fewer top bands here, sometimes some really strange acts can play music festivals, which I don’t think is so good.” One thing that is worrisome for the band is how over the past two years in Beijing, many performances and gigs have been suddenly canceled, and there always seem to be some new censorship regulations.


吉他手果真说: “我觉得整个市场在变好,乐队演出机会多了,也能看到很多国外的好乐队演出。如果要说一个的话,就是可能整个环境的刺激还不够吧,在乐队作品方面竞争不像国外那么激烈,国外好乐队太多了,我喜欢那种刺刺激激的感觉。因为这里优秀的乐队数量太少,导致什么奇怪的乐队都能上音乐节演一演,这点很不刺激。“困扰着这个乐队的一件事,就是在北京过去的两年里,很多演出被取消,甚至有所谓下架歌曲名单这种事出现。

The band have only just finished recording their first album, which includes ten songs in total, and are now in the process of mixing it. Their goal was to record it quickly and to keep on making new music. For Guo Zhen, the band’s immediate goals are to keep on rehearsing, continue to explore their sound, and keep playing gigs until they have exhausted themselves. Yong says that the only thing that really matters to them is to make the best of today, after all nothing in the future exists. Perhaps a good description of this young band’s mindset can be found in the lyrics of one of their songs: “Sing with all your passion / put your hands up / let me embrace your dreams / let me see your real face / let’s smile, now we’re young / let’s look forward to a better tomorrow.” Maybe Mars plans to release Future Orients’ first album later this year.


乐队最近刚完成他们第一张专辑的录音,这张专辑包括了十首单曲,目前他们正忙于混音阶段。他们的目标是快速结束这张专辑的录制,从而可以开始新作品的创作。对于果真来说,乐队当务之急是继续排练,继续演出,继续摸索,直到把能量消耗完。阿勇说,对于他们来说,唯一重要的事就是踏踏实实干好今天的事,明天都是假的。或许,歌词里唱的就能很好地描述这个年轻乐队的状态: “唱出你的热情,伸出你的双手,让我拥抱着你的蒙,让我拥有你真心的面孔,让我们的笑容,充满着青春的骄傲,让我们期待着明天会更好……”

Facebook~/futureorients

 

Contributor, Photographer & Videographer: Leon Yan


 

供稿人,图片摄影师与视频摄影师: Leon Yan

Sony World Photography Awards 2016

March 18, 2016 2016年3月18日
Photographer: Sai Aung Main, 3rd Place: Myanmar National Awards

Local photographic talent has been given a global platform by the world’s biggest photography competition, the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards. The awards, produced by the World Photography Organisation, present this year’s winners of its National Awards programme, which have been designed to uncover the best single shot taken by a local photographer across 60 countries.

Photographer: Longxiang Xie, 1st Place: China National Awards
Photographer: Kazi Mushfiq Hossain, 3rd Place: Bangladesh National Awards
Photographer: Taehoon Kim, 2nd Place: Korea National Awards
Photographer: MD Tanveer Rohan, 1st Place: Bangladesh National Awards

Individual National Awards ran across the four corners of the world – from Argentina to Australia, Russia to Vietnam – and the entries were all taken from the ten categories of the Sony World Photography Awards’ Open competition. An expert panel of judges led by the World Photography Organisation has rewarded a huge variety of work from across the 60 winners: from stunning shots of wildlife to beautiful portraits, classic architectural images to recognisable scenes of daily life.

Photographer: Buncha Parnboonlue, 2nd Place: Thailand National Awards
Photographer: Mohammad Ponir Hossain, 2nd Place: Bangladesh National Awards
Photographer: Alex Chang Chee Choy, 2nd Place: Singapore National Awards
Photographer: Hu Weiguo, 2nd Place: China National Awards

All the 2016 National Awards winners have received the latest digital imaging equipment from Sony to help them continue their photographic journeys, and will also be exhibited as part of the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London from 22nd April – 8 May. In addition, over half of the winners will be flown to London to attend the Sony World Photography Awards gala ceremony to see their work exhibited and extend their photographic networks.

Photographer: William Chua, 3rd Place: Singapore National Awards
Photographer: Noguchi Shin, 4th Place: Japan National Awards
Photographer: Abhijit Banerjee, 1st Place: India National Awards
Photographer: Kyaw Bo Bo Han, 1st Place: Myanmar National Awards

Since launching in 2012, the National Awards programme has grown from eight participating countries to sixty, making it unique in its scope and reach. Previous winners of the National Awards have also had their work published around the world and have used this recognition as a path into the photographic industry.

Photographer: Changhun Lee, 1st Place: Korea National Awards
Photographer: Swee Choo Oh, 3rd Place: Malaysia National Awards
Photographer: Tugo Cheng, 3rd Place: Hong Kong National Awards
Photographer: Minh Thanh Ngu, 1st Place: Vietnam National Awards

The Sony World Photography Awards is free to enter for all. The 2017 edition, which will also be the 10th anniversary of the competition, will open on 1st June 2017.

Photographer: Kei Nomiyama, 1st Place: Japan National Awards
Photographer: Ho Wing Ka Jimmi, 1st Place: Hong Kong National Awards
Photographer: He Len, 2nd Place, Myanmar National Awards

Websiteworldphoto.org

 

Contributor: Leon Yan
Images Courtesy of World Photography Organisation

The Temple Hotel

March 11, 2016 2016年3月11日
Photo Credit / 图片来源: Ben McMillan

The history of The Temple Hotel in Beijing spans back to the early Qing Dynasty when it was first built as three Tibetan Buddhist temples, located between the Northeast corner of the Forbidden City and Jingshan Park. This area where the temples are situated was also the site for imperial printing workshops that date even further back to the Ming Dynasty, producing Buddhist sutras and religious books for temples around Beijing and elsewhere in China. In 1949 soon after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, however, a large number of Beijing’s 3,000 former temples were converted into factories and other kinds of utilitarian spaces, or were demolished as the city gradually started to modernize. Over the course of time, Zhizhusi, the temple that today lies at the very heart of The Temple Hotel complex, was also neglected, and was at one point even used as a storage space, slowly and ultimately falling into disrepair. In 2007, when the founders of The Temple Hotel first came across the site, they discovered that it too would be demolished if no entity stepped forward and made an attempt to renovate it.


北京东景缘酒店历史可追溯至清朝早期所建的藏传佛教嵩祝三寺酒店位于紫禁城的东北角和景山公园之间早在明朝时期,这里就设有皇家印刷厂,即汉经厂,负责为北京及全国其他各地的寺庙刻板印刷佛经和宗教典籍。然而,1949年新中国建立后不久,北京3000多座寺庙中有相当一部分不是被改造成工厂和其他使用场所,就是在城市的现代化进程中被拆毁。随着时间推移,如今坐落于东景缘酒店正中心的智珠寺,也一度受到忽略,甚至被用来当做储藏室,终究难逃破败不堪的命运。2007年,东景缘酒店的创建人第一次来这里时,他们发现,如果再不采取实质性措施,这里将被摧毁于是出面翻新寺庙

Photo Credit / 图片来源: Ben McMillan
Photo Credit / 图片来源: Ben McMillan

When The Temple Hotel team decided to take up the challenge of renovating the centuries-old Buddhist temple, they had one very important goal in mind, which was to conserve and preserve all of the buildings’ history. In order to do this, they brought in specialized architects, surveyors, and small teams from knowledgable construction companies, who then methodically removed the rubble and debris from the site, uncovered the columns, and very carefully restored every beam and every tile from the structures. It took the restoration team a few years to complete the project, but finally in 2012 when it was finished, The Temple Hotel received a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Merit for Cultural Heritage Conservation. Today, in addition to being a beautiful first-class boutique hotel, it is also a cultural venue that is open to the public every day, and is widely regarded as one of the best examples of heritage preservation in the Asia region.


当东景缘酒店团队决定开始接受翻新这个古老藏传佛教寺庙的挑战时,他们有一个重要的目标,就是留存住寺庙所有建筑的历史。为了实现这一目标,他们请来了专业的设计师、测量员、并从专业的建筑公司请来团队。这些团队负责系统地做清理工作。修复小组用了几年的时间来做这项工作,最终2012年他们完成任务时,东景缘酒店接到了联合国教科文组织颁发的亚太文化遗产保护优秀奖。如今,这里不仅是一流的精品酒店,还是一个开放的文化场所,被人们普遍认为是亚洲文化遗产保护的最佳典范之一。

Photo Credit / 图片来源: Ben McMillan

The Main Hall, both the architectural core and showpiece of The Temple Hotel, is regularly used for hosting cultural events, such as theater performances, music recitals, film screenings, formal banquets, and other art happenings. The buildings running along the Eastern side of The Temple Hotel have been tastefully fitted for conferences and meetings with period furniture and art installations. Even the lighting, both natural and artificial, in and around these spaces has been carefully considered to enhance and draw out the spiritual aspects of this former temple. During sunset, there is indeed a magical and intangible quality to the natural light that fills up these rooms.


礼堂,是东景缘酒店的建筑核心和艺术品展示区,经常用于举办各类文化活动,例如戏剧表演、音乐演奏、电影放映、正式宴会以及其他艺术活动。酒店东面的建筑经过改造内部装饰古今混搭具有艺术气息,适合举办各类会议。即便是这些空间内外的自然采光和人工灯光,都经过精心设置,为古寺的精神增加风采。日落时分,室内会映射进神奇的自然之光。

In the Gallery, The Temple Hotel exhibits its own art collection; the space regularly features the work of local and international artists. Past art events have included private viewings of classical and contemporary carpets, documentary and art film screenings, outdoor projections in the courtyard outside the main hall, as well as performances from world-famous musicians, and an ongoing series of classical music recitals. In the past few years, the photography work of Robert Doisneau, He Chongyue, and Irene Kung have all also been exhibited at the Gallery. Art and culture have always been an integral and vital part of The Temple Hotel’s identity. According to its founders, the reimagined space has always been planned as a living museum and cultural arts space.


东景缘酒店的画廊里不仅拥有自己的艺术典藏品;且常常举办中国和世界各地艺术家们的作品展。过去举办过的活动有古典和现代地毯私享展、纪录片和艺术电影放映、在礼堂外进行户外投影,以及世界知名音乐家的演奏会和一系列的古典音乐演出。在过去几年中,Robert Doisneau、He Chongyue和Irene Kung的摄影作品也在画廊里展出过。艺术和文化一直是东景缘酒店不可分割的一部分。酒店创建人的想法,一直都是要将改造的这个空间当做是生活博物馆和文化艺术空间。

 

无法观看?前往优酷

The Temple Hotel is home to the permanent installation Gathered Sky by world-renowned American artist James Turrell. His first and only work in China, Turrell’s installation spectacularly explores light, color, and the subtle nuances of human perception. It is also China’s only Skyspace, a specially constructed room with an open ceiling that allows visitors to view the sky above. Over the course of a few hours, viewers can observe the slowly changing colors of the sky during a sunset, juxtaposed with the shifting colors of the controlled artificial lighting within the chamber. The effect is a surprisingly moving, contemplative, and at times deeply personal experience. Sunset viewing sessions may be attended by the general public every Saturday and Sunday with the purchase of an admission ticket.


东景缘酒店是世界著名美国艺术家James Turrell的装置作品《Gathered Sky》的永久陈列处。作为他在中国的第一个且唯一一个作品,Turrell的这个装置进行了对光、色彩、以及人的微妙感知的探索。这也是中国唯一的Skyspace装置艺术——一个特别建造的房间,敞开的天花板,可以让游客观赏上面的天空。游客在几个小时内就能在这个房间内看到日落时天空慢慢变化的色彩,同时伴随着的还有人工控制照明的颜色变化。视觉效果令人感动和沉思,让人为之惊奇印象深刻。公众可以在周六或周日买票来观看日落灯光艺术。

Photo Credit / 图片来源: Ben McMillan
Photo Credit / 图片来源: Ben McMillan
Photo Credit / 图片来源: Ben McMillan

Upcoming art events this year include the screening of Air of Earth, a chapter from the six channel video installation Earth-Water-Fire-Air  by the South Korean multi-disciplinary conceptual artist Kimsooja. Her work will be projected outdoors every night between 6:30pm and 11pm starting 16 March. Over the summer, there will also be a photography exhibit by the French artist Olivier Roller, in which he will feature images of the Xi’an terracotta warriors juxtaposed with Roman statues. Later in the fall, The Temple Hotel is discussing with Galleria Continua to feature video art by the Belgian visual artist Hans Op de Beeck, as well as showing new work from the Swiss photographer Irene Kung. The exciting and diverse range of cultural activities planned for the current year, combined with the rich history of the site’s buildings, make The Temple Hotel a must-visit destination for travellers and local art lovers alike. The next time you are in Beijing, be sure to give it a visit!


今年要举办的活动有《Air of Earth》的放映,《Air of Earth》是韩国多学科概念派艺术家Kimsooja(金守子)的六频道视频装置《Earth-Water-Fire-Air》中的一章。自3月16日起,她的作品将于每晚6:30到11点间在礼堂外投影播放。今年夏季,还有法国艺术家Olivier Roller的摄影展,展出西安兵马俑和古罗马雕像并置的图片。到秋季,东景缘酒店正在和常青画廊谈展出比利时视觉艺术家Hans Op de Beeck的视频艺术,以及展出瑞士摄影家Irene Kung的新作品。本年度文化活动规划的多种多样,加上这里建筑群的饱满历史,使得东景缘酒店成为游客和本土艺术爱好者的必到之地。下次您来北京,一定要去观赏!

Aire de Tierra / Air of Earth (2009) by Kimsooja, Still from Earth - Water - Fire – Air , Commissioned by Hermes Foundation, Paris
《土之气》(2009)作者:金守子,静态画面截取自《土-水-火-气》,受爱马仕企业基金会委托,巴黎
Night Time (2015) by Hans Op de Beeck, Courtesy of Galleria Continua / 《Night Time》 (2015) 作者: Hans Op de Beeck,由常青画廊提供。

Address:
Shatan Beijie Songzhuyuan 23
Dongcheng District, Beijing
People’s Republic of China

Phone: 8402 1350

Website: thetemplehotel.com
WeChat: thetemplehotelbj

 

Contributor: Leon Yan
I
mages Courtesy of The Temple Hotel & Ben McMillan
Image of Aire de Tierra / Air of Earth Courtesy of Axel Vervoordt Gallery, Antwerp and Kimsooja Studio
Video Courtesy of The Temple Hotel


地址:
中国 北京市东城区
沙滩北街嵩祝院23号


电话
: 8402 1350

网站: thetemplehotel.com
微信: thetemplehotelbj

 

供稿人: Leon Yan
图片由The Temple HotelBen McMillan提供
静态画面截取自《土之气》由Axel Vervoordt画廊与金守子工作室提供
视频由The Temple Hotel提供

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My Americans

March 10, 2016 2016年3月10日

As a Chinese American whose family has been in the States for generations, AnRong Xu has long been drawn to his own ancestry as it ties in to American history. “I had many questions about our place as an ethnic group in America, and it led to me traveling across the United States in search of what it means to be a Chinese American,” he shares. Shaped by memories of “a childhood of seeing my mother work in a sweatshop, my father bellying up to the wok, and a Chinatown filled with hopes and dreams for my generation,” AnRong Xu sought to depict through his photographs the distinctive experience of Chinese Americans across the States.


作為一位其祖上已有數代人居住在美國的華裔,許​​安榮對自己的血統深有關注,因為那與美國的歷史密不可分。 “對於我們族群在美國的處境,我有太多想了解的。這促使我穿行美國,以尋找作為美籍華人的意義。”他告訴我們。在他的記憶中,“童年是親眼看著雙親拼死做工,被生活壓得無以喘息,還有對於我們這代人充滿寄希的唐人街”,因此許安榮尋求藉攝影來展示美籍華人在美國的獨特經歷。

Scroll below for a sampling of photographs from AnRong’s project My Americans, and visit his VSCO Journal to see the full post.

Follow AnRong’s work at anrizzy.vsco.co.


以下照片節選自安榮的《My Americans》系列,點擊此處查看完整系列。

通過anrizzy.vsco.co可關注安榮的作品。

For his project, AnRong hopes to “create an idea and a record of an American people,” journeying to Chinatowns across the States and meeting individuals to hear their stories. His project is a combination of portraits, stills of people’s homes or belongings that speak to who they are, and scenes of everyday life in Chinese American communities. “For the most part, I just wander and get lost, and sometimes I come upon my subject, and sometimes I don’t, but the journey in itself is where I find most of my pictures.”

 


他深入美國各地的中國城,遍訪華裔們,傾聽他們的故事。在這個項目上,安榮希望可以“表現並記錄美籍華裔族群”。這個系列記錄的是華裔們的肖像、住所、代表他們的物品,以及這個社群的日常生活。 “大多數時候,我只是遊走、迷失,有的時候我會碰上我的拍攝對象,有的時候不會,但是正是這個旅程本身讓我完成了多數的拍攝。”

One of the most rewarding elements of the project for AnRong Xu has been the personal interactions he’s shared with fellow Chinese Americans. “For me, the most compelling people and situations are often the quiet ones. I feel often as a society we talk too much and don’t show enough. So when I’m with a subject or in a situation, I love the silence and quiet moments that I can share with the subjects or just with myself. And in all those moments, I find that the human story is the most compelling; so many of the people I photograph had sacrificed so much to be in this country, and now here they are living and surviving.”


對安榮來說,創作這組作品最大的收穫就是他得以和這些受訪華裔們的互動。 “對我來說,最動人的人和狀況往往是非常安靜的。這個社會裡的我們都說的太多做的太少了。所以當我與拍攝對像在一起時,或者身處某個狀況中,我喜歡那些能夠和對方一起,或者只是自己靜默的時刻。往往是那些時刻中,我才發現一個平凡人的故事最為動人;我拍攝的人裡,有很多曾幾乎傾盡所有以生活在這個國家,而放眼此時此刻,他們正在此地生生不息著。”

A self-described romantic, AnRong says that although his style has evolved since he first started photographing in high school, the quality of being a romantic has remained and is today the defining aspect of his work. This reflective quality led him to consider the abstract idea of identity and its practical implications in individuals’ lives. “Through this project, there has been a lot of maturation for myself,” AnRong acknowledges. “Seeing and learning of others’ experiences as Chinese Americans in this country helps bring a bit more of an understanding of what it means to be American for myself. It has also revealed so many different stories of struggle, success, and different journeys that I feel privileged to be able to know and also share via my photographs.”


自恃為浪漫主義者,安榮說,儘管自己的風格自高中開始攝影后已有變化,但是他浪漫主義一面一直延續至今,並成為他現在作品的特質。這個特質引導他開始思索關於個人身份的抽象意識,以及其與現實生活產生的化學反應。 “我也隨著創作這個系列而越來越成熟。”安榮坦承道,“目睹、了解這個國家其他華裔的經歷,讓我更加理解了身為美國人到底意味著什麼。得益於這次創作,我有幸用照片去展示如此多的掙扎、成功,如此多不同的人生旅程。”

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


本篇文章來自內容合作夥伴Neocha和VSCO®的媒體交換。在Neocha上閱讀更多VSCO的亞洲主題文章,請點擊此處

Website: anrongxu.com
VSCO Gridvsco.co/anrizzy

 

Media Partner: VSCO®
Photographer: AnRong Xu
Images & Text Courtesy of VSCO Grid®


网站: anrongxu.com
VSCO Gridvsco.co/anrizzy

 

媒體合作夥伴: VSCO®
攝影師: AnRong Xu
圖片與文字由VSCO Grid®提供

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The Design of Gaga Café

February 28, 2016 2016年2月28日

In Shenzhen, China, it seems that there is no slowing down in the demand for Gaga Café’s brand of quality coffee, good food, and relaxing interiors. Following the success of COORDINATION ASIA‘s previous designs for Gaga, the new café at Wongtee Plaza in Shenzhen adopts a similar sense of style and refinement, but with a bit more punch and geometric boldness.


深圳的Gaga咖啡连锁店,以⾼质量的饮⾷和优雅舒适的环境正在迅速发展。协调亚洲继成功打造了前两家Gaga分店的内部设计后,在这家皇庭广场的分店延续了主设计风格,但添加了⼏分⼏何立体感。

The café not only entices visitors in from the outside, but it also encourages them to stay and linger for a while. The space has been designed across multiple levels; the walls, floor and ceiling all have unique characteristics and offer an interesting play between lighting and furnishings. One prominent feature is the wooden drop ceiling, which runs across the space from the entrance – in parts transforming into a metal mesh frame that supports hanging planters and a sculptural light volume.


咖啡店的设计主旨是不仅能吸引行⼈入店,并且鼓励顾客在店内停留片刻。这家店的内部空间设计呈现了多层次的构造,从墙壁、地⾯到天花板都体现出独特的风格,与灯光和家具相得益彰。⽊饰面吊顶贯穿于餐厅空间内,在入口区域转变成了铁丝网格样式,用于悬挂绿色植物以及⽀撑装饰吊灯。

COORDINATION ASIA designer Alberto Caiola explains, “The goal for (Gaga at) Wongtee Plaza was to create an environment that satiated both the energetic lifestyle of its patrons and the café’s delicate, yet delicious food.”


“皇庭分店的主要设计理念是既能满足顾客快节奏的⽣活方式,又能体现咖啡店精致的美⾷。”——协调亚洲的设计师Alberto Caiola解释道。

In order to make a connection with the first two Gaga concepts, COORDINATION ASIA selected a common palette of materials. Green is a featured color that oozes across different surfaces within the space, such as in the plush wall textiles and in hanging planter boxes. Black and white opaque tiles line the café, leading from the entrance to the service counter where tasty treats are beautifully displayed. And just like in the first two Gaga cafés, the use of natural wood creates a warm and relaxing environment for people to stop and recharge.


协调亚洲设计团队精⼼挑选的色彩和材料维持了品牌的视觉主旋律,并和前两家店的设计相呼应。绿色作为主色调贯穿整个内部空间,例如靠墙的沙发布料以及悬挂的盆栽。黑⽩瓷砖被交错使用,作为从入⼝处到收银柜的过渡。和前两家咖啡店一样,原⽊的使⽤营造出舒适温馨的氛围。

Furthermore, flexible seating schemes have been devised to help cope with the café’s busiest peak hours, with a variety of different options to cater for groups of all sizes – from small two person tables, high benches to large shared tables. Soft wall textiles have been arranged in an alternating rhythm to break up any sense of modularity and also help soak up unwanted noise, which is often a problem in the design of cafés. The selection of food that Gaga makes is highlighted in both the open display cabinet and the glowing screen of glass, which partially conceal the kitchen and give guests a glimpse into what’s going on behind the scenes.


自由式的座位能应付餐厅最繁忙的时段,其灵活性⼜方便根据不同场合和人数进行相应的组合安排。另外,墙面的软装布料的运用打破了陈规,并且能吸收额外的噪⾳,解决了咖啡店设计中普遍的问题。Gaga的美⾷不仅呈现在柜台,其亮点还体现在备餐区的开放窗⼝,顾客能看到食物的相关细节,对食物品质更放心。

Websitecoordination.asia

 

Contributor: Leon Yan
Photos Courtesy of COORDINATION ASIA


网站coordination.asia

 

供稿人: Leon Yan
图片由协调亚洲提供

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Mirrors & Bathrooms

February 26, 2016 2016年2月26日

A public restroom may not be the first place one looks to find inspiration. But it’s where New York City-based Korean photographer KangHee Kim began her current project, Mirrors and Bathrooms. “I first started to take photographs of mirrors in bathrooms with my cell phone camera,” she recounts. “I love the moment when mirrors reflect the tiles of bathrooms.” KangHee’s series began to grow, and when restroom lighting became too restrictive, she began carrying a small mirror in her bag in order to capture moments with mirrors in other settings. The end result is a collection of images intended to ask viewers to think. “I am questioning what we see every day, and photography as a means for capturing reality.” Scroll below for a selection of images from KangHee’s Mirrors and Bathrooms series.


공중 화장실은 사람들이 영감을 받기 위해 찾는 첫 번째 장소는 아닐 수 있습니다. 하지만 사진 작가 김강희거울과 욕실'이라는 그녀의 현재 프로젝트를 공중 화장실에서 시작했습니다.저는 제 휴대 전화 카메라로 화장실에 있는 거울 사진을 촬영하기 시작했습니다라고 말했습니다. 그녀는 또한"거울이 욕실 타일을 비추고 있는 그 순간을 사랑 해요.” 김강희 작가의 시리즈는 성장 하기 시작 했으며, 화장실 조명이 제한적일 때는, 다른 설정에서 거울에 비친 순간을 포착 하기 위해 그녀의 가방에 작은 거울을 가지고 다니기 시작했습니다. 그 결과 보는 사람들이 이미지가 의미하는 것을 생각할 수 있도록 의도한 이미지의 모음이 탄생하게 되었습니다. “저는 우리가 매일 보는 것들에 질문을 던지기 시작했으며, 실제 현실을 포착하기 위한 수단으로 사진을 찍습니다라고 말합니다. 김강희 작가의거울과 욕실시리즈에 있는 이미지 모음을 스크롤해서 확인해 보세요.

KangHee’s art background is originally in painting, and it impacts the work she does behind the camera. “I just treat photography as another medium to create paintings.” KangHee contemplates her compositions with care, and the mirror in this series has added a new element to experiment with. Its reflective nature has created a whole realm of possibilities within each image she constructs. “It was challenging for me to set the mirror at just the right angle when I was working alone,” KangHee says. “It is almost like a live view of photographs contained in a frame without having the actual frame.” Carrying a mirror with her at all times, KangHee may plan locations but never the exact specifics of an image, claiming that, “I feel the most responsive to the photos I took spontaneously.”


김강희 작가의 그림을 그렸던 배경은 그녀의 카메라 작업에 영향을 미치고 있습니다.저는 그림을 그리기 위한 또 다른 매체로 사진을 취급하는 거죠.” 김강희 작가는 주의 깊게 그녀의 작품을 구상하며 이 시리즈에 있는 거울 작품은 실험적인 새로운 요소를 가미한 것입니다. 그 작품의 반사적인 성격은 그녀가 만드는 각 이미지 안에 총체적인 가능성의 영역을 만들어 냈습니다. 김강희 작가는제가 혼자 작업할 때 정확한 각도로 거울을 설정하는 것이 제게는 도전이죠,”라고 말합니다. “실제 프레임 없이 프레임 안에 담긴 살아있는 사진의 정경을 만드는 것과 같습니다.” 김강희 작가는 항상 거울을 가지고 다니기 때문에 작품을 만들 장소는 자유롭게 계획할 수 있지만, 만들어낼 이미지의 정확한 세부사항은 계획 할 수 없습니다. 그래서 그녀는즉흥적으로 사진을 찍는 것이 가장 흥미롭습니다라고 말합니다.

Bathrooms, being private in nature, have presented KangHee Kim with some challenges. “I got in trouble one time for taking photos of mirrors in one of the public bathrooms at Disney World,” she remembers. “I wasn’t taking any photos of people. But some people thought it was really intrusive and reported it to a cleaning lady, which I found really interesting.” It is perceptions such as these of invasiveness or rigidity that KangHee hopes to expose and examine through her photo series. In her mind, photography can serve as a unique vehicle for shifting perceptions. “You cannot hold or control what we see in reality,” she says, “but you can portray in a photograph whatever you want. If you experience or see the world in a slightly different perspective (both literally and metaphorically), you will be able to find small pleasure observing everyday life.”


화장실은 특성상 개인적인 공간이기 때문에 작업을 하는데 약간의 어려움이 있을 때도 있습니다. “한번은 디즈니 월드에 있는 공중 화장실에서 거울 사진을 찍고 있었을 때 어려움을 겪었던 적인 있죠라고 회상했습니다. “전 사람들의 사진을 찍으려는 했던 것이 아니었는데, 어떤 사람들은 제가 공중 화장실에서 사진을 찍는 것을 매우 거슬려 했으며 청소부에게 보고를 했던 일도 있었습니다.” 김강희 사진 작가가 그녀의 작품 시리즈를 통해서 나타내고 실험하려는 것은 침입 또는 경직과 같은 인식입니다. 김강희 사진 작가는 사진은 인식을 전환 시킬 수 있는 독특한 수단으로 작용할 수 있다고 생각합니다.우리는 현실에서 보는 것을 담거나 통제할 수 없죠. 그렇지만 사진을 통해서 원하는 것을 볼 수 있는 사진으로 표현할 수 있습니다라고 김강희 작가는 말합니다. (문자적인 의미에서 그리고 은유적인 의미로) 다른 관점에서 세상을 경험하거나 본다면, 일상 생활을 관찰 하는 것에서 작은 기쁨을 발견할 수 있습니다.”

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

 


이 이야기는 Neocha와 VSCO®의 콘텐츠 파트너쉽과 미디어 교환의 일환입니다. Neocha에서 VSCO’s 아시아 콘텐츠에 대해 더 많은 것을 보시려면, 여기를 클릭하세요.

Website: kanghee.kim
VSCO Gridvsco.co/kangheekim

 

Media Partner: VSCO®
Photographer: KangHee Kim
Images & Text Courtesy of VSCO Grid®


웹싸이트kanghee.kim
VSCO Gridvsco.co/kangheekim

 

미디어 파트너: VSCO®
사진 작가: 김강희
VSCO Grid®의 이미지 & 텍스트 제공

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