The moment I say "school," so many memories come back to me. It's like after every exam, when I walk out, the teacher would say, "Hey, come. How did you do?" I would say with a great smile, "I will definitely pass." And I didn't understand why, in one hand they say, "Speak the truth," in the other hand, when you say the truth, they hated you. So it went on like that, and I didn't know where else to find myself. So I remember those nights I used to go to sleep with asking help from [the] Unknown because, for some reason, I couldn't believe what my father and mother hanged in the Puja room as a god, because my friend's family had something else as a god. So I thought, "I guess I'll pray to [the] Unknown and ask help," and started getting help from everywhere, each and every corner of my life at that time. My brothers started giving me a few tips about drawing and painting.
一當我說“學校”這個詞的時候, 我的腦海裏湧現出很多回憶。 就像每次考試後我走出教室時, 老師會說:“嘿,過來一下, 做得怎樣啊?” 我會咧開嘴笑:“我一定會及格的,放心吧。” 那時我不懂為什麼 一方面他們說:“要說真話,” 另一方面,當你說真話的時候,他們又不滿意了。 所以一直那樣糾結著, 找不到自己的位置。 因此我記得以前 每晚睡覺前 我會向未知求助, 因為,基於某種原因 我不能信奉 我父母掛在廳前的神, 因為我朋友家 又信另一種神。 所以我對自個兒說:“還是不要指名道姓地膜拜好了, 得到幫助的機會會大點兒。” 至此以後便一發不可收拾, 什麼神都來幫我了。 比如我老哥開始在繪畫上給我一些指點。
Then, when I was in eighth standard around 13 years old, I started working in a part-time job in one of the signboard artists called Putu. And then school also started supporting me. "Oh, he's bad at studies, but let him send to the drawing competitions." So it was good to survive with that little tool that I found to find my own place in school. And one of those competitions, I just won a small, little transistor Philips radio. And I didn't have the patience to wait until I reached home. So I just switched on in the train, loudly. If you travel in Indian trains, you can see people listening to radio and, you know, even from their mobiles.
然後, 當我 大概13歲的時候, 開始在一個叫putu的製作招牌的藝術家那兒 兼職。 又比如,學校開始給我提供支持與幫助: “哦,他在學習上是沒什麼花頭了, 不過送他去繪畫比賽也許有戲。” 所以我得以倖存, 並找到了自己在學校裏的位置。 在其中一次比賽中, 我贏來了一個小小的philips的晶體管收音機。 我那時極為猴急。 等不到回家就把它拆開了。 還在火車上,我調大了音量。 如果你坐過印度火車, 就知道人們喜歡聽收音機。 甚至用手機聽。
So at that time -- and I was 13 -- and I was listening to just radio, and someone happened to sit next to me, like these three people are sitting here. You know, like just adjacent to me. He just started asking, "Where did you buy the radio? How much is it?" I said, "It's a prize from [an] art competition." And he said, "Oh, I teach at a college of arts. I think you should study in a school of art. You just quit school and come there." So, why I'm telling you this, you know, maybe, you know, whoever is sitting next to you can change your whole life -- it's possible. It is that we need we need to be open and fine-tuned. So that's what made me enter [the] college of arts after three attempts and just continue to inquire what I really want to do with art work, or art and finally I'm here in front of you.
而那時候,-我才13-- 所以我也聽收音機, 正好就有個人坐我旁邊, 就像坐在這邊的這三個人一樣。 就是坐我旁邊啦。 他就開問了:“這收音機哪兒買的?多少錢啊?” 我說:“這可是畫畫比賽的獎品。” 他說:“哦,我在大學裏教畫畫呢。 我覺得, 你應該在藝術學校裏學習, 你直接退了學去那兒吧。” 所以,我和你說這個的目的是, 也許, 無論誰坐在你旁邊,都可能改變你的人生。這是有可能的。 只要我們足夠思想開明並具備潛質。 所以,這就是支持我 失敗三次仍繼續嘗試, 並最終進入藝術學院, 去做我真正想要 從事的藝術工作, 並最終站在你們面前的動力。
When I look back, you know, on what happened between that time and now here -- the last 10/15 years -- I can see that most of the works revolve around three subjects, but it was not intentional. And I just start out with a trace because I was thinking, "What really makes us?" -- you know, it's actually [the] past, what makes a person. So I was thinking, but when you look at the past, the way to understand the past is only by the traces available, because we cannot go back [to] the past. It can be ruins, or it can be music, or it can be painting or drawing or writing, whatever it is. But it is just a kind of trace of that time. And that fascinated me, to explore that territory. So I was working on the line, but instead of working about traces, I started capturing traces.
當我回首往事, 去想在那時候與現在這段時間之間, 發生的事, 在過去的10或15年裏, 我總結出大部分作品, 都圍繞著三個主題, 但這不是故意的。 我的腦海裏浮現出一道軌跡, 因為我在想,“究竟什麼造就了我們?” 然後我恍然:是過去啊,是過去造就了我們。” 所以我想, 當你回首過去, 去理解過去的方法, 只有沿著留下的痕跡去追尋。 因為 過去已如泥沙沉澱。 它可能是一堆殘骸,也可能是一曲仙樂, 又或者留在油彩或墨水中,任何方式, 但,這些都是時間的指紋。 我沉迷於此, 沉迷於開拓這片藝術的疆土。 所以當我遨遊於線條之間, 去收拾這些痕跡, 捕捉它們,描繪它們。
So here are some of the works I would like to show you. So this is called "Self In Progress." It's just a trace of being in this body. So here, what happened then, you know -- what I really enjoyed the most is that this sculpture is nothing but a trace of myself. It's almost like a 3D photograph. So there is an element of performance, and there is an element of sculpture, and there is an element of feeling one's self, so close to one's self. So it's almost like fossils for the future. And then moved slowly to explore the other possibilities of capturing traces. So this is what I was talking about, while molding, it's such a great experience, because we have freedom of like walking, or moving my hand or, moving around in the space, but the moment this becomes solid, when you cannot move even an inch, because this is plaster of Paris, so the moment you pour it it's like liquid; but after 20 minutes, it's almost like a hard stone.
現在我想給你們展示其中的一些作品。 這叫做:“進步的自我。” 它是寄居於這個身體的一道痕跡。 然後呢, 身體真的非常享受這個模具, 就像這個雕像, 就是從我自己的過去而來的。 簡直就像一張3D照片。 裏面有表演的元素, 雕刻的元素, 還有接近自我,感知自我的元素。 簡直就像獻給未來的化石。 然後呢,慢慢移動, 去探索捕捉過去的各種可能。 所以,這就是我制模時候講的話。 這種體驗非常之棒, 因為我們擁有自由如走路, 自由地揮揮手。 但是在一瞬間這些都凝固了, 你一動也不能動, 因為是熟石灰,這一刻它流動自如, 20分鐘後,他就硬如磐石了。
So this is capturing the trace of a thumbprint because, knowingly or unknowingly, whatever we do, you know, we leave our traces here. So I just thought, "I'm going to capture thumbprint, footprint, or whatever traces we leave as humans." This is the trace of fire, this is the trace of sun. Because when I was capturing traces, you know, this thought comes to me always: is it, only when the object touches the thing and it leaves the trace, or is there other ways to capture it?" So this work is nothing but like -- because of the focal length of the lens, it just shows what is on the other side. So I just put the paper on the focal length, which was an etching print, then I got the portrait of [the] sun from sunlight. This is called "Dawn to Dawn." What I did here, I just put like 10 feet [of] paper then put a coconut rope, and just burnt it. So it took about 24 hours to get this line. So wherever the fire is eating the paper, that's what becomes the work -- detail.
這是對指紋的捕捉, 因為,知覺或不知, 無論我們做什麼,總是留下痕跡。 所以我想,我將捕捉, 指紋,趾紋。 任何我們作為人類留下的痕跡。 這是火的痕跡, 這是太陽的。 因為當我捕捉痕跡時, 我總是想到, 是不是, 一個物體自由移動,碰到了另一個物體,留下了痕跡, 或有沒有其他方法來捕捉呢?” 這個作品是-- 因為鏡頭的焦距問題, 只顯示出了另外一邊是什麼。 所以我就把紙放在焦距上, 它是張蝕刻畫, 然後從陽光那兒我就得到了太陽的肖像。 這個叫“黎明” 我做的呢,就是,放了10英尺的紙 然後 嗯, 嗯, 花了24小時弄的。 所以無論哪兒紙張在被火侵蝕, 就成了作品了。 細節。
Even though we have traces when we try to understand them, the perception and context play a major role to understand it. So do we really understand what it is, or are we trying to get what we think it is? Then move towards questioning the perception because, even though there are traces, when you try to understand them, you know you play a major role. So like let's say even a simple act. How many of you saw a cow crossing in India while you were coming from Bangalore to Mysore? Can you just raise the hand?
即使我們有痕跡, 當我們試圖理解它們, 知覺和環境 起的作用最大。 所以我們真正理解了嗎? 或我們只是 按我們臆想去理解它的呢? 那麼就提問直覺吧 因為,即使有痕跡, 當你去理解時,你扮演的角色也是責任重大。 就像,比如說,一項簡單的行為中。 你們中多少人看到過印度的牛過馬路, 當你們從班加羅爾到邁索爾的時候? 舉下手好嗎?
If you just ask an opinion of how, everyone can interpret it. Like, let's say, if a schoolteacher says, she'll simply say, "To get to the other side." Why the cow was crossing the road, you know. The answer can be so different if Potter said it. He would say, "For the greater good." Martin Luther King would say, "I imagine a world where all cows will be free to cross the road, without having their motives called into question." (Laughter) Imagine Moses comes now, and he sees the same cow walking around the street. He would definitely say, "God came down from heaven, and he said unto the cow, 'Thou shalt cross the road.' And cow crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing as a holy cow." (Laughter) Freud would say, "The fact that you're at all concerned reveals your underlying sexual insecurity." (Laughter) If we ask Einstein, he would say, "Whether the cow crossed the road, or the road moved underneath the cow, depends on your frame of reference." (Laughter) Or Buddha -- if he saw the same cow, he would say, "Asking this question denies your own nature [as a] cow."
如果你問一個觀點意見什麼的, 每個人的理解都不一樣。 比如,一老師說的話, 她會直接說,“為了到另一邊去。” 當被問及為什麼奶牛穿越馬路, 如果哈利波特說的話,答案又不一樣了。 他會說,“為了更大的利益。” 馬丁路德金會說, 我有一個夢想,所有奶牛都獲取自由去 穿越馬路, 而不受任何爭議。” (笑) 想像一下摩斯現在來了,然後他看到了 那頭同樣的奶牛在穿越馬路。 他一定會說, “神從天而降, 然後祂對奶牛說, “汝應穿越馬路。” 然後奶牛穿越了馬路, 然後大受鼓舞,天降神牛啊,天降神牛啊。 (笑) 佛洛伊德會說, “你如此關注的事實 揭露了你隱藏的性欲。” (笑) 如果我們問愛因斯坦, 他會說:“是奶牛穿越馬路, 還是奶牛身下道路的移動, 都取決於你的參照系。” (笑) 那麼,佛陀呢。 如果他看見了同一頭奶牛,他會說, “問這個問題否定了你自身的奶牛本性。”
(Laughter)
(笑)
So, what we see is just what we think often, and most of the time, we don't see what it is. It just all depends on one's perception. And context, what is really context? You know, I could just show you this little piece of paper. Because I always think meaning doesn't really exist. The meaning of what we create in this world doesn't exist. It's just created by the mind. If you look at this piece of paper, this is the breadth and this is called length. This is how we've been taught in school. But if you tear it in the middle -- now, I didn't touch this breadth, but still, the meaning of this changes. So what we conceive as a meaning is always not there; it's on the other side, even when we say dark, light, good, bad, tall, short -- all meaning it doesn't exist in reality. It's just that being a human, the way we train to perceive the reality creates this meaning.
所以,我們看見的, 經常只是我們的所想而已, 並且大部分時候,我們看不見事物的本質。 我們只是依靠於我們的直覺。 那麼語境呢,語境是什麼? 我們來看一下這張小紙片就知道了。 因為我總是認為根本就沒有什麼意義之說。 我們在這世上的創造物根本是沒什麼意義的。 意義什麼的只存在於我們的腦袋裏。 如果你看著這張紙, 這是寬, 這是長, 這就是我們在學校裏學到的。 但是如果你從中間把它撕開。 現在,我不碰到這寬, 但改變仍然已經發生。 所以我們所謂意義, 根本是不存在的; 它在事物的另一面, 即使是我們說的黑暗,光亮, 好,壞,高,矮-- 現實中並不存在。 那只是,作為一個人類, 通過被訓練一些看待事物特定方法, 我們自個創造了意義。
So this work from this period is mostly like -- you know, this is a work called "Light Makes Dark." It's just captured through from the lamp. So the lamp is not just giving a light, it's also giving a darkness. So this is a work of art, which is just trying to explore that. This is called "Limit Out." This shows how limited our eye or hearing sense or touch -- do we really see? This is an exact negative. It's about six inches deep in the wall, but it just appears like it's coming out of the wall. You know the wall is almost like -- this is the first skin, and this is the second, and there's a third, and each creates a meaning. And we're just pulling the wall off the gallery. Again, "Inward Out." It's a full-figure cast from myself. It's about eight inches deep.
所以這階段的這個作品, 很像是-- 呃,他叫做“光明製造黑暗” 這是從臺燈那兒捕捉到的。 所以臺燈不僅創造了光亮,也創造了黑暗。 所以這就是一個試圖探索這個主題的藝術作品。 這叫“無極限” 他展示了我們的視覺聽覺的極度受限-- 我們真的看到了嗎? 這是個極好的佐證。 它嵌在牆裏大約6英尺, 但看上去好像他正要從牆裏鑽出來呢。 這個牆就像是-- 這是第一層表皮,第二層, 第三層,每一層都有一個意義。 我們只是把牆脫離出整個畫廊。 再一次,“裏外” 它是由我自己鑄成的。 大概8英尺深。
When I was doing that, I always wondered since I've worked with creators -- and now you know, I've moved to questioning the perception -- whenever I see the bird flying in the sky, it just makes me feel like: is there anything behind, are there any traces up there, which as a human, we don't see them? Is there any way to capture the thought into visual art? I couldn't find it. But a solution arrived after being quiet and not working for about six, seven months, in the restroom, when I was changing the air freshener that goes from solid substance to vapor. It's called Odonil. This is the work I made out of that material. The process to get to make the sculpture was interesting, because I wrote to Balsara, who produces that air freshener called Odonil, saying, "Dear Sir, I am an artist. This is my catalogue. Will you help me to make this sculpture?" They never wrote back to me. Then I thought, "I will go to the Small Scale Industries Facilitating Unit and ask help." So I told them, "I'd like to start an air freshener company." They said, "Of course. This is the fee for the project report, and we will give you all the details," and they gave. Finally, I went back to them and said, "It's not for starting the company, it's just to make my own work. Please come for the show." And they did. And this work is in the Devi Art Foundation in Delhi.
當我在做它的時候,總是懷疑自己曾與造物主合作-- 現在到了提問知覺的時候了-- 無論何時我看到有鳥在天上飛 就感到-- 他們有沒有留下什麼痕跡呢,有沒有呢? 作為人,我們無法用肉眼看到的痕跡? 有沒有一種方法能夠把這種想法 投射到視覺藝術當中? 我找不到。 但是停止工作安靜思考6、7個月後, 我終於想到了, 在一個餐館裏, 當我在換空氣清新劑的時候。 它從固體昇華為氣體。 它就叫Odonil。 這是我對那個素材的創作。 做雕塑的過程非常有趣。 因為我給做空氣清新劑Odonil的 Balsara公司寫信。 信上說,“親愛的先生,我是名藝術家,這是我的履歷。 你能幫我做這個雕塑嗎?” 他們沒給我回信。 然後我就想,“那麼我就去一些小作坊 尋求幫助吧。” 所以我告訴他們,“我想要開一家空氣清新劑公司。” 他們說,“當然可以了。” “這是工程價格報告, 過後會給你補充細節。” 最後,我又去找了他們告訴他們: 我不是要開公司,只是想做我自己的作品。 你們來看看我的演示吧。” 然後他們就來了。 這幅作品是“德里的基礎”
In India, nobody really talks about works of art; they always talk about the appreciation of art. You buy this for 3,000 rupees, it'll become 30,000 in two months. This is the craft that was going on, but there are a few collectors who also collect art which can depreciate. And this was collected by Anupam -- which is like, finally in the end, he will not have anything, because it will evaporate. So this is after a few weeks, this is after a few months. It's just all about questioning the preconceptions. So if someone says, "Oh, I see the portrait," it may not be the portrait after a few months. And if they say it's solid, it will not be solid, it will evaporate. And if they say they don't get it, that's also not true, because it's in the air. It's in the same gallery or in the same museum. So they inhaled it, but they are not aware of it.
在印度,沒有人真正關心藝術。 他們只關心作品的價格,增值空間。 現在你用3000盧比買了這個, 倆月後它就升值到30000了。 這就是事實, 但也有一些收藏者, 收藏可能貶值的作品。 這是Anapum的收藏-- 其實最終它們不會值幾個錢的。 因為價值會蒸發。 這是幾星期以後的, 幾個月以後的。 這只是一個關於先入為主的問題。 所以如果有人說,“哦,我看過那肖像。” 幾個月後可能就不是肖像了。 如果他們說它是固體, 它有可能不是固體,他會蒸發。 如果他們說他們沒拿到, 那也是謊言, 因為他就彌漫於空氣中, 在同一個畫廊或博物館的空氣中。 他們呼吸著它, 卻渾然不覺。
While I was doing that work, my mom and my dad, they were looking at it and they said, "Why do you deal with negative subjects all the time?" And I was like, "What do you mean?" "Light makes dark and now evaporating self. Don't you think it remained something about death," they said. "Of course not. For me," I'm thinking, "this is tucked in some small solid, but the moment it evaporates, it's merged with the whole." But she said, "No. Still, I don't like it. Can you make something from nothing as a sculptor?" I said, "No, mom. It can't be. Because we can create a sculpture by gathering dust together, or we can break the sculpture and get the dust, but there is nowhere that we can bring dust into the universe."
當我在完成那件作品時, 我老爸老媽, 看著他然後說, “為什麼你總是圍繞著這些稀奇古怪的題材?” 然後我就說,“什麼意思啊?” “光亮製造了黑暗,然後現在又是會蒸發的細胞? 你不覺得其中包含了一點關於死亡的意味嗎?”他們說。 “當然不是了,對於我來說。”我想, “他是被塞入一些小的固體之中, 但他蒸發的瞬間, 就融入了整個整體。” 但是她說,“不,我還是不喜歡。 你作為一個雕塑家, 能夠實現從無到有的過程嗎?” 我說,“不行,老媽,不行的。 因為我們可以去 把土黏在一起 去做一個雕塑, 或者我們可以打破雕塑來得到泥土, 但是我們不能創造泥土。”
So, I did this work for her. It's called "Emerging Angel." This is the first day -- it just gives the appearance that one is becoming the other. So, the same sculpture after a few days. This is after 15/20 days. Through that small little slit between the glass box and the wood, the air goes underneath the sculpture and creates the other one. This gave me a greater faith. That evaporating sculpture gave me a greater faith that maybe there is many more possibilities to capture [the] invisible.
所以我為她製作了這件作品。 它叫“浮現的天使” 這是第一天。 看起來像是 一樣食物變成了另一樣。 所以,同一桌雕塑, 幾天之後, 這是15,20天之後 雖然那條小小的裂縫 存在於玻璃盒子和木頭之間, 空氣鑽進了雕塑,然後又產生了另一條裂縫。 但他給了我一個更大的啟發。 那個蒸發的雕塑給了我一個更大的,信念。 也許,會有更多的可能 去捕捉那些看不見的東西。
So what you see now is called "Shadow Foreshadow." And what I'd like to tell you is we don't see shadow, and we don't see light too; we see the source of the light. We see where it's bouncing, but we don't see [them] as they exist. You know, that's why the night sky, we see the sky as dark, but it's filled with light all the time. When it's bounced on the moon, we see it. The same thing in the darkroom. The little dust particle will again, reflect the light, and we realize the existence of light. So we don't see dark, we don't see light, we don't see gravity, we don't see electricity. So, I just started doing this work to inquire further about how to sculpt the space between this object and there. Because, as a visual artist, if I'm seeing this and I'm seeing that -- but how to sculpt this, you know? If we sculpt this, this has two reference points. The skin of this is also representing this. And skin at the other end also represents the floor. I did this as an experiment of casting the shadow. So this is a corrugated box and its shadow. Then the second one -- the moment you bring any invisible into the visible world it will have all the characteristics of the visible existence. So that produced a shadow. Then I thought, okay, let me sculpt that. Then, again, that becomes an object. Again, throwing light, then the third one. So what you see is nothing but shadow of a shadow of a shadow. And then again, at that point, there is no shadow. I thought, "Oh, good. Work is finished." You can see the detail.
所以你現在看到的東西, 叫做“預兆的影子” 我想告訴你的是, 我們不是看見影子,也不是看見光亮, 我們看見的是光亮的源頭。 我們看到的是他們的反射物,而不是他們本身的存在。 你知道,這就是為什麼,夜晚的時候。我們看到天是黑的, 但其實它無時無刻不充滿光亮。 當它在月球表面反射,我們看見了它 暗室也是同樣道理。 小的塵埃也會反射光亮, 然後我們就感覺出了光的存在。 我們看不到黑暗,也看不到光亮, 看不到引力,看不到電流。 所以,我開始做這件作品 來更深層次的探尋 雕塑, 物體之間空間的方法。 因為,在視覺藝術中,我看到了這個,那麼我也看到了那個-- 但是你知道雕塑家們應該怎樣去描繪呢? 如果我們雕這個的話,它有兩個參照點。 它的表面也代表了這個。 另外一端的表皮也代表了地面。 我把這作為一項實驗來做, 你知道,鑄造影子。 這個呢,是一個有波紋的盒子和它的影子。 第二個-- 你把不可見的東西視覺化的那一刻, 它就具備了所有可視物體的性質了。 所以他又有了一個影子。 然後我想,好吧,讓我把它雕出來。 然後,又一次地,它變成了一個物體。 然後,第三個。 所以現在你只看得到影子的, 影子的影子。 然後又一次,在那個點上,沒有影子。 我想,“哦,好的,完成了。 你能看到細節。
This is called "Gravity." It's called "Breath." It's just two holes on the gallery wall. It's a false wall, which contains like 110 cubic feet. So that hole actually makes the air come out and go in. So where it's happening, we can see, but what is happening will remain invisible only. This is from the show called "Invisible," at Talwar Gallery. This is called "Kaayam." Detail.
它叫“引力” 它叫“寬”。他就是在畫廊牆上的倆洞。 它是座假牆,裏面有, 大概110立方英尺。 所以事實上,那個洞, 實現了空氣的流通。 我們能看目睹它在發生, 但實際上發生的事永遠是不可見的。 這是從Talwar畫廊的一場秀上來的, 它叫做“Kayam” 細節。
And what I'd like to tell you, our senses are so limited -- we cannot hear everything, we cannot see everything. We don't feel, "I am touching the air," but if the breeze is a little more faster, then I can feel it. So all of our construction of reality is through these limited senses. So my request was like, is there any way to use all this as just a symbol or a sign? And to really get to the point, we should move beyond, you know, go to the other side of the wall, like illogic, like are invisible. Because when we see someone walks, we see the footprint. But if we're just cutting that footprint from the whole thing and trying to analyze it, you will miss the point because the actual journey happens between those footprints, and the footprints are nothing but passing time.
我想告訴你的是, 我們的感官如此之受限, 我們什麼也得不到,什麼也看不到。 我們不能感覺,“我正在觸摸空氣,” 但是如果氣流再快一點,那我能夠感覺到它。 所以所有我們關於現實的建構, 都是通過這些極受限的感官。 所以求援就像是 又沒有一種方法來使用所有的這些 作為純粹的標誌或記號? 而且真正要達到目的, 我們需要超越, 走到牆的另一面,邏輯上來說, 看不見的地方。 因為我們看到某人走路時,我們看到了腳印。 但如果我們單純把腳印截取出來,並試圖去分析它, 會有失偏頗, 因為實際上旅程位於腳印之間, 而腳印只不過是在時間裏留下的痕跡。
Thank you.
謝謝各位。
(Applause)
(掌聲)