So when I decided to create an art piece in Manshiyat Naser, the neighborhood of the Cairo garbage collectors in Egypt, I never thought this project would be the most amazing human experience that I would ever live. As an artist, I had this humanist intention of beautifying a poor and neglected neighborhood by bringing art to it and hopefully shining light on this isolated community.
當我決定在開羅附近的垃圾之都 曼斯亞特納賽爾 進行一項藝術創作時, 我從未想過這個企劃將成為 我有生以來最為 奇特的一項人生體驗。 作為藝術家, 我秉持人道主義精神, 去美化這個貧困而孤離的區域, 將藝術帶到此處,並希望能在這片 孤離的社區中灑下一點微光。
The first time I heard about this Christian Coptic community was in 2009 when the Egyptian authorities under the regime of Hosni Mubarak decided to slaughter 300,000 pigs using the pretext of H1N1 virus. Originally, they are pig breeders. Their pigs and other animals are fed with the organic waste that they collect on a daily basis. This event killed their livelihood. The first time I entered Manshiyat Naser, it felt like a maze. I was looking for the St. Simon Monastery on the top of the Muqattam Mountain. So you go right, then straight, then right again, then left to reach all the way to the top. But to reach there, you must dodge between the trucks overpacked with garbage and slalom between the tuk-tuks, the fastest vehicle to move around in the neighborhood. The smell of the garbage unloaded from those trucks was intense, and the noise of the traffic was loud and overbearing. Add to it the din created by the crushers in those warehouses along the way. From outside it looks chaotic, but everything is perfectly organized.
我首次聽到這個埃及的 科普特正教會社區時, 是在 2009 年 穆巴拉克的執政時期。 當時埃及以 H1N1 流感病毒 為藉口屠殺了三十萬豬隻。 原本住在這裡的人們 以飼養豬隻維生, 用每日收集的有機廢棄物 來飼養豬隻以及其他動物。 流感的爆發毀了他們的生計。 當我第一次進入曼斯亞特納賽爾時 我覺得這裡像座迷宮。 當時我在默卡塔姆山頂上 尋找聖西蒙修道院。 你得先向右走然後直行, 然後向右轉再向左轉, 一路走到山頂上。 但要抵達那裡, 你必須躲過一輛輛載滿垃圾的卡車 和嘟嘟車的阻礙。 嘟嘟車是在這個社區內 最快速的車輛。 從那些卡車上卸下的垃圾 有著非常強烈的惡臭, 交通的吵雜聲大到令人無法忍受, 除此之外還有由倉庫發出來 壓碎機的噪音。 從外面來看這裡一片混亂, 但其實所有的一切都是很有組織的。
The Zaraeeb, that’s how they call themselves, which means the pig breeders, have been collecting the garbage of Cairo and sorting it in their own neighborhood for decades. They have developed one of the most efficient and highly profitable systems on a global level. Still, the place is perceived as dirty, marginalized and segregated because of their association with the trash. So my initial idea was to create an anamorphic piece, a piece that you can only see from one vantage point. I wanted to challenge myself artistically by painting over several buildings and having it only fully visible from one point on the Muqattam Mountain. The Muqattam Mountain is the pride of the community. This is where they built the St. Simon Monastery, a 10,000-seat cave church that they carved into the mountain itself.
Zaraeeb ──他們是這樣稱呼自己的, 意思是飼養豬隻的人。 他們一直在開羅收集垃圾 並在自己的社區 整理垃圾已經數十年。 他們已經發展出極為有效率 和高獲利的全球系統。 但這個社區卻仍然被視為髒亂、 低效益且與世隔絕的地方, 全因為他們的社區和垃圾劃上等號。 我最初的想法 是創造一個變形的模塊, 一個你只能用好的角度觀看的模塊。 我想要挑戰自己, 利用在建築上作畫的方式, 人們只能夠在默卡塔姆山上的 某個特定點看到全景。 默卡塔姆山是整個社區的象徵, 這是他們創建西蒙修道院的地方。 一座在山裡雕砌出來, 有著多達一萬個座位的修道院。
So, the first time I stood on top of the mountain and I looked at the neighborhood, I asked myself, how on earth will I convince all those owners to let me paint on their buildings? And then Magd came. Magd is a guide from the Church. He told me the only person I needed to convince was Father Samaan, who is the leader of the community. But to convince Father Samaan, I needed to convince Mario, who is a Polish artist who moved to Cairo 20 years ago and who created all the artwork of the Cave Church. I am really grateful to Mario. He was the key of the project. He managed to get me a meeting with Father Samaan, and surprisingly, he loved the idea. He asked me about where I painted before and how I will make it happen. And he was mainly concerned by what I was going to write.
我第一次站在山頂上時, 我俯瞰這整個社區並想, 我到底應該怎麼樣說服所有的人 讓我能在他們的建築上作畫? 然後麥格德來了, 他是修道院的嚮導, 他告訴我我唯一需要說服的人 就是薩曼神父, 他是這個社區的領導。 但在說服薩曼神父之前, 我必須先說服馬利歐, 他是一位波蘭藝術家, 20 年前搬來開羅。 他創造了這個修道院所有的藝術品。 我對馬利歐非常感激, 他是這個企劃最關鍵的人物。 他想辦法讓我和薩曼神父會面, 而出乎我意料的是, 他很喜歡我的想法。 他問我,我之前在哪裡作畫, 還有我要如何執行這個企畫。 他最擔心的是我要寫的內容。
In every work that I create, I write messages with my style of Arabic calligraphy. I make sure those messages are relevant to the place where I am painting but have this universal dimension, so anybody around the world can relate to it.
我的每一個作品都會有 我用阿拉伯書法風格 所寫下的訊息。 我確保所有的訊息 都和我作畫的地方有關係, 但有著全球觀的角度, 讓全世界的人都能夠體會及了解。
So for Manshiyat Naser, I decided to write in Arabic the words of St. Athanasius of Alexandria, a Coptic bishop from the third century, who said: (Arabic), which means in English, "Anyone who wants to see the sunlight clearly needs to wipe his eyes first."
所以對於曼斯亞特納賽爾, 我決定將聖阿塔拿修 用阿拉伯文書寫。 他是第三世紀科普特主教, 他說過:(阿拉伯語) 意思是: 「任何想要清楚看到陽光的人, 必須要些清澈其眼睛。」
It was really important for me that the community felt connected to the words. And for me this quote was perfectly reflecting the spirit of the project.
對我來說重要的是, 這個社區的人能對這些話產生連結。 對我來說這段引言 代表了這個企劃的精神,
So Father Samaan blessed the project, and his approval brought all the residents on board. Hundreds of liters of paint, a dozen blue manual lifts, several trips back and forth to Cairo, a strong and solid team from France, North Africa, Middle East and the US, and after a year of planning and logistics, there we are, my team and some members from the local community creating a piece that will spread over 50 buildings, some filling up the space of the calligraphy that I trace with colors. Here some blue, there some yellow, there some orange. Some others carrying some sand bags and putting them on the top of the buildings to hold those manual lifts, and some others assembling and disassembling those same lifts and moving them around the different buildings.
薩曼神父祝福了我的企劃, 他的認可讓我同時得到 全社區的認同。 數百升的油漆和幾十台藍色升降機、 幾趟往返開羅的旅程、 一個由法國、北非、中東 和美國組成的堅強陣容。 經過一年的計畫和籌備, 我們終於可以開始了。 我的團隊和一些 來自當地社區的成員, 將創造一個橫跨 50 座 建築物的藝術品。 有些人負責填充 那些我已經上了顏色的 美術字體空白處。 有些是藍色、黃色還有些橘色。 有些人負責搬運及運送沙袋 並把它們放在建築物頂端, 以支持那些手動升降機。 還有一些人負責 組裝及拆裝那些升降機, 並移動他們到作業的建築物上。
At the beginning of the project, I numbered all those buildings on my sketch, and there was no real interaction with the community. People didn’t get the point of all this. But fast enough, those building numbers became family names.
最一開始執行此企畫的時候, 我在我的草圖上 以號碼標記了所有的建築物, 與社區之間也沒有交集與連結。 人們並不了解 這項企畫的意義在哪裡。 但很快的,那些建築的號碼 變成了家人的名字。
The first building was the house of Uncle Ibrahim. Uncle Ibrahim is such an enthusiastic person. He was always singing and making jokes, and his daughters and sons saved me from his bull who wanted to attack me on the fourth floor.
第一棟建築物 是易卜拉欣叔叔的房子。 易卜拉欣叔叔是一位非常開朗的人。 他熱愛唱歌以及說笑話, 他的兒女把我 從公牛的手裡解救出來── 這隻公年試圖在四樓攻擊我。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
Actually, the bull saw me from the window and came out on the balcony.
其實,那隻公牛是從窗戶看到我 然後才從陽台出來的。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
Yeah.
是的。
Uncle Ibrahim was always hanging out on the balcony and talking to me while I was painting. I remember him saying that he didn’t go to the mountain for 10 years, and that he never takes a day off. He said that if he stopped working, who will stop the garbage? But surprisingly, at the end of the project, he came all the way to the mountain to look at the piece. He was really proud to see his house painted, and he said that this project was a project of peace and -- sorry --
易卜拉欣叔叔喜歡在陽台逗留, 並且在我作畫的時候和我聊天。 我記得他說過 他已經有十年沒去過山上, 因為他從來沒有一天可以休息, 他說如果他停止工作, 那麼誰會來停止垃圾呢? 令人驚訝的是, 這個計畫結束的時候, 他跑到了山上並且觀賞這幅藝術品。 他對於房子是藝術品的一部分 感到非常驕傲, 他說這個企畫帶來了安寧, 不好意思──
(Applause)
(掌聲)
Thank you.
謝謝。
He said that it was a project of peace and unity and that it brought people together.
他說這個企劃代表了和平和團結, 並將人們團聚在一起。
So his perception towards the project changed, and my perception towards the community changed also, and towards what they do. All the garbage that everybody is disgusted by is not theirs. They just work out of it. Actually, they don’t live in the garbage. They live from the garbage. So I started doubting myself and wondering what was the real purpose of this whole project? It was not about beautifying a place by bringing art to it. It was about switching perception and opening a dialogue on the connection that we have with communities that we don’t know. So day after day, the calligraphy circle was taking shape, and we were always excited to go back on the mountain to look at the piece. And standing exactly at this point every day made my realize the symbolism behind this anamorphic piece. If you want to see the real image of somebody, maybe you should change your angle.
他對於這個企劃的想法改變了, 我對這個社區的觀感也改變了, 對於他們做的事情也有不同的認知。 那些令人厭惡的垃圾並不是他們的, 他們只是廢物利用。 事實上,他們並不活在垃圾堆中, 而是依靠垃圾維持生計。 所以我開始質疑自己並且懷疑 這個企劃真正的主旨是什麼? 並不是美化社區, 而是改變觀感並且開啟對話, 對這個我們並不熟之的 社區產生連結。 日復一日, 美術字逐漸成形, 我們每一天都很期待 到山上看藝術品, 而每天站在同一個地方, 我更加深刻體會到 這個藝術品背後的象徵意義。 如果你想要看清楚 一個人真正的樣子, 或許你需要的是改變你的角度。
There was doubts and difficulties, like fears and stress. It wasn't simple to work in such environments, sometimes having pigs under you while you paint or climbing a stack of garbage to reach a lift. But we all got over the fear of the heights, the swinging lifts, the strength of the smell and also the stress of not finishing on time.
在這個過程中有很多的遲疑和困難, 像是恐懼以及壓力。 在這樣的環境下工作並不簡單, 有時候當你在繪畫時下面會有豬隻, 或是有時候我得攀爬垃圾山 以到達升降機, 但我們都克服了 高度和不穩昇降機的恐懼、 強烈的惡臭、 還有不能夠如期完成的壓力。
But the kindness of all those people made us forget everything. The building number 3 was the house of Uncle Bakheet and Aunty Fareeda. In Egyptian, they have this expression that says, "Ahsen Nas," which means "the best people." They were the best people. We used to take our break in front of their houses, and all the kids of the neighborhood used to join us. I was impressed and amazed by the kids of Manshiyat Naser. For the first few days, they were always refusing anything we were offering them, even a snack or a drink. So I asked Aunty Fareeda, "Why is that?" And she told me they teach their kids to refuse anything from somebody that they don't know because maybe this person needs it more than they do.
這些人的善良 讓我們忘卻的一切憂慮。 第三號房子是巴赫特叔叔 和法娌達阿姨的。 在埃及語裡,他們有這樣的說法 叫"Ahsen Nas", 意思就是最好的人們, 他們就是最好的人們。 我們經常在他們房子前面休息, 所有鄰近社區的孩子 都會加入我們。 曼斯亞特納賽爾的孩子 讓我很印象深刻。 剛開始的幾天,他們總是拒絕 任何我們給他們的東西, 就算只是一小袋零食或是飲料。 所以我問法娌達阿姨為什麼。 她告訴我,他們教育他們的孩子拒絕 來自陌生人所有的東西, 因為或許這個人 比他們更需要那些東西。
So at this exact point I realized actually the Zaraeeb community was the ideal context to raise the topic of perception. We need to question our level of misconception and judgment we can have as a society upon communities based on their differences. I remember how we got delayed on Uncle Ibrahim's house when his pigs that are bred on the rooftop were eating the sand bags that hold the lifts.
就在這個時候我明白了 其實這個養豬社區, 是一個探討感知的理想地區。 做為一個社會, 我們必須質疑自己的認知, 也必須質疑自己的批判, 基於地區上的差異。 我記得我們曾經耽誤了 在易卜拉欣叔叔的房子的企畫, 他的豬隻被眷養在屋頂, 它們當時正在吃 拿來固定升降機的沙袋。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
The house of Uncle Bakheet and Aunty Fareeda was this kind of meeting point. Everybody used to gather there. I think this is what Uncle Ibrahim meant when he said that was a project of peace and unity, because I really felt that people were coming together. Everyone was greeting us with a smile, offering us a drink or inviting us into their own house for lunch. Sometime, you are at the first level of a building, and somebody opens his window and offers you some tea. And then the same thing happens on the second floor. And you keep going all the way to the top.
巴赫特叔叔和法娌達阿姨的房子 是個集會的場所, 大家都會聚集在這裡。 我想這就是易卜拉欣叔叔說的, 他說這個企畫代表的是和平和團結, 因為我真的感受到人們團結在一起。 每個人都會親切的 和我們打招呼和給我們飲料, 或是邀請我們到他們家裡吃午餐。 有時候,你在第一層樓工作 有人會打開窗遞給你一杯茶, 然後到了第二層樓 同樣的事情又發生了, 然後你就這樣一路到了最上層。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
(Applause)
(掌聲)
I think I never drink as much tea as I did in Egypt.
我想我這一生中從來 沒像在埃及一樣喝過這麼多茶。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
And to be honest with you, we could have finished earlier, but I think it took us three weeks because of all those tea breaks.
老實說,我們其實可以 提前完成這個企畫, 但我想我們因為這些喝茶 休憩時間多做了三周。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
In Egypt, they have another expression, which is "Nawartouna," which means, "You brought light to us." In Manshiyat Naser they were always telling us this. The calligraphy, actually -- I used a white glow-in-the-dark paint for the calligraphy so at the end of the project, we rented some black light projectors and lit up the whole neighborhood, surprising everybody around. We wanted to tell them that they are the ones who brought light to us.
在埃及,他們有另一種說法 叫做 "Nawartouna", 意思是「你帶來了光明。」 在曼斯亞特納賽爾 他們總是這樣對我們說。 這個藝術字── 我用白色螢光漆繪製了整個藝術字, 在企畫的最後, 我們借來了紫外線投影器, 並且打亮了整個社區, 驚嘆了周圍所有人, 我們想要說 你們才是為我們帶來光明的人。
(Applause)
(掌聲)
The Zaraeeb community are strong, honest, hard workers, and they know their value. The people of Cairo call them "the Zabaleen," which means "the people of the garbage," but ironically, the people of Manshiyat Naser call the people of Cairo the Zabaleen. They say, they are the ones who produce the garbage, not them.
養豬社區是個強大、 誠實、且努力的社區, 他們知道自己的價值。 開羅的人們稱他們 "Zabaleen", 意思是與垃圾為伍的人, 但諷刺的是,曼斯亞特納賽爾的人 稱呼開羅的人們"Zabaleen" 他們說,他們才是製造垃圾的人。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
(Applause)
(掌聲)
The goal was to leave something to this community, but I feel that they are the ones who left something in our lives. You know, the art project was just a pretext for this amazing human experience. The art piece at some point will disappear, vanish, and actually there is somebody who is building a second floor in front of Uncle Ibrahim's house, so it's covering part of the painting, so I might need to go back and paint over it.
這個企畫的目標 是給這個社區帶來一些價值, 但我覺得反而是他們給了我們價值。 人家說,這個企畫只是 為了添加人生經歷的一種方式, 這個藝術品終將會消失。 其實現在正有人在 易卜拉欣叔叔的房子前 增蓋另一層樓。 部分的藝術品被擋住了, 我必須回去繪畫, 才能完成整副藝術品。
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
It was about the experience, about the story, about the moment.
這整個企畫是關於一個經歷、 一個故事、 和一個時刻。
From the streets of the neighborhood, the painting appears in fragments, isolated from one another, standing alone. But connected with the sign of calligraphy that today reveals the powerful message that we should all think about before we want to judge somebody.
從社區的街道看 這副作品是破碎的, 彼此之間互相分離, 各自獨立, 但是美術字體把它們連繫在一起。 今天,這個藝術品向人們 宣示了這個強大的訊息: 當我們在批評別人之前,
Anyone who wants to see the sunlight clearly needs to wipe his eyes first.
每一個想看清陽光者, 必須要先清澈其眼睛。
Thank you.
謝謝大家。
(Applause)
(掌聲)