I was born in Taiwan. I grew up surrounded by different types of hardware stores, and I like going to night markets. I love the energy of the night markets, the colors, the lights, the toys, and all the unexpected things I find every time I go, things like watermelon with straw antennas or puppies with mohawks. When I was growing up, I liked taking toys apart, any kind of toys I'd find around the house, like my brother's BB gun when he's not home.
Rođen sam na Tajvanu. Tokom odrastanja bio sam okružen raznim vrstama gvožđara i volim da idem na noćne pijace. Volim energiju tih pijaca, boje, svetla, igračke i sve neočekivane stvari koje nađem svakog puta, poput lubenice sa antenama od slamki ili kučića sa čiroki frizurom. Dok sam odrastao, voleo sam da rastavljam igračke, bilo koje igračke koje bih našao po kući, poput vazdušne puške mog brata, kada on nije kod kuće.
I also liked to make environments for people to explore and play. In these early installations, I would take plastic sheets, plastic bags, and things I would find in the hardware store or around the house. I would take things like highlighter pen, mix it with water, pump it through plastic tubing, creating these glowing circulatory systems for people to walk through and enjoy. I like these materials because of the way they look, the way they feel, and they're very affordable.
Takođe sam voleo da stvaram okruženja koja bi ljudi istraživali i gde bi se igrali. U ovim ranim instalacijama, uzimao sam plastične listove, plastične torbe i stvari koje bih našao u gvožđari ili oko kuće. Uzeo bih stvari poput markera, pomešao bih ga s vodom, ispumpao kroz plastičnu cev i tako stvorio svetleće sisteme za cirkulaciju kroz koje ljudi mogu da hodaju i u njima uživaju. Volim kako izgledaju ovi materijali, njihov osećaj, i veoma su pristupačni.
I also liked to make devices that work with body parts. I would take camera LED lights and a bungee cord and strap it on my waist and I would videotape my belly button, get a different perspective, and see what it does. (Laughter)
Takođe sam voleo da stvaram uređaje koji rade sa delovima tela. Uzimao bih LED svetla sa fotoaparata i rastegljivi kanap, to bih zakačio za pojas i snimao bih svoj pupak, dobio bih drugačiju perspektivu i video šta on radi. (Smeh)
I also like to modify household appliances. This is an automatic night light. Some of you might have them at home. I would cut out the light sensor, add an extension line, and use modeling clay, stick it onto the television, and then I would videotape my eye, and using the dark part of my eye tricking the sensor into thinking it's night time, so you turn on the lightbulb. The white of the eye and the eyelid will trick the sensor into thinking it's daytime, and it will shut off the light.
Takođe volim da dorađujem kućne aparate. Ovo je automatsko noćno svetlo. Neki od vas ga možda imaju kod kuće. Isekao bih senzor za svetlo, dodao produžetak i koristio plastelin, nalepio to na televizor i onda bih snimao svoje oko i koristeći zenicu zavarao bih senzor da misli da je mrak, tako da uključi sijalicu. Beonjača i kapak će zavarati senzor da misli da je dan i on će isključiti svetlo.
I wanted to collect more different types of eyes, so I built this device using bicycle helmets, some lightbulbs and television sets. It would be easier for other people to wear the helmet and record their eyes. This device allows me to symbolically extract other people's eyes, so I have a diversity of eyes to use for my other sculptures. This sculpture has four eyes. Each eye is controlling a different device. This eye is turning itself around in a television. This eye is inflating a plastic tube. This eye is watching a video of another piece being made. And these two eyes are activating glowing water. Many of these pieces are later on shown in museums, biennials, triennial exhibitions around the world.
Želeo sam da skupim različite vrste očiju, pa sam stvorio ovu spravu koristeći biciklističke kacige, sijalice i televizore. Bilo bi lakše kada bi drugi ljudi nosili kacigu i snimali svoje oči. Ova sprava mi dozvoljava da simbolički izvučem tuđe oči, tako da imam širok izbor očiju za koršćenje na mojim skulpturama. Ova skulptura ima četvoro očiju. Svako oko kontroliše drugi aparat. Ovo oko se okreće u telezivoru. Ovo oko naduvava plastičnu cev. Ovo oko gleda video snimak gde se pravi drugi komad. Ova dva oka pokreću vodu koja svetli. Veliki broj ovih komada se kasnije prikazuje u muzejima, na bijenalnim i trijenalnim izložbama širom sveta.
I love science and biology. In 2007, I was doing a research fellowship at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum looking at bioluminous organisms in the oean. I love these creatures. I love the way they look, the way they feel. They're soft, they're slimy, and I was fascinated by the way they use light in their environment, either to attract mates, for self-defense, or to attract food. This research inspired my work in many different ways, things like movement or different light patterns. So I started gathering a lot of different types of material in my studio and just experimenting and trying this out, trying that out, and seeing what types of creatures I can come up with. I used a lot of computer cooling fans and just kind of put them together and see what happens. This is an 8,000-square-foot installation composed of many different creatures, some hanging from the ceiling and some resting on the floor. From afar, they look alien-like, but when you look closer, they're all made out of black garbage bags or Tupperware containers.
Obožavam nauku i biologiju. Bavio sam se istraživačkim radom 2007. u Prirodnom i istorijskom muzeju Smitsonijan i gledao sam organizme koji svetle u okeanu. Obožavam ova stvorenja. Kako izgledaju, kakva su na dodir. Mekana su, sluzava, i fasciniralo me je kako koriste svetlost u svom okruženju, da privuku partnera, za samoodbranu ili da privuku hranu. Ovo istraživanje inspirisalo je moj rad na mnogo načina, stvari poput kretanja ili raznih svetlosnih šablona. Počeo sam da skupljam razne vrste materijala u svom studiju i da eksperimentišem i isprobavam razne stvari da vidim kakva stvorenja mogu da smislim. Koristio sam dosta ventilatora iz kompjutera i samo sam ih spojio da vidim šta će se desiti. Ovo je instalacija od 740 kvadratnih metara i sastoji se od raznih stvorenja od kojih neka vise s plafona a neka odmaraju na podu. Izdaleka liče na vanzemaljce ali kada pogledate izbliza, sva su napravljena od crnih kesa za smeće ili plastičnih posuda.
I'd like to share with you how ordinary things can become something magical and wondrous. (Applause) Thank you. (Applause)
Želeo bih s vama da podelim kako obične stvari mogu da postanu nešto magično i čudesno. (Aplauz) Hvala vam. (Aplauz)