The brilliant playwright, Adrienne Kennedy, wrote a volume called "People Who Led to My Plays." And if I were to write a volume, it would be called, "Artists Who Have Led My Exhibitions" because my work, in understanding art and in understanding culture, has come by following artists, by looking at what artists mean and what they do and who they are. J.J. from "Good Times," (Applause) significant to many people of course because of "Dy-no-mite," but perhaps more significant as the first, really, black artist on primetime TV. Jean-Michel Basquiat, important to me because [he was] the first black artist in real time that showed me the possibility of who and what I was about to enter into.
一位非常傑出的劇作家,安德恩 甘迺迪(Adrienne Kennedy), 她寫了一本書,叫 "引領我創作的人們"(People Who Led to My Plays) 若要我來寫一本書, 書名會是, "曾經引領我策展的藝術家們" 因為我的工作, 就是探討藝術和文化的事物, 這些都來自傾聽藝術家、 試圖了解藝術家的思想、 還有他們的行為、人格特質。 像是來自"好時光(Goos Times)"的傑杰(Jay Jay)。(註:1974~79播放的美國喜劇影集) (掌聲) 他對許多人來說意義重大, 因為他家喻戶曉的口頭禪"太爽拉"(dyn-o-mite), 但也許,更有意義的地方是 這是第一次,有黑人藝術家 在黃金時段的電視節目上現身。 吉恩-米切爾-巴斯奎特(Jean-Michel Basquiat), 對我來說是很重要的人物,因為 他是當今第一位黑人藝術家 時時刻刻提醒我, 那些我該去了解的人事物的所有可能性。
My overall project is about art -- specifically, about black artists -- very generally about the way in which art can change the way we think about culture and ourselves. My interest is in artists who understand and rewrite history, who think about themselves within the narrative of the larger world of art, but who have created new places for us to see and understand. I'm showing two artists here, Glenn Ligon and Kara Walker, two of many who really form for me the essential questions that I wanted to bring as a curator to the world. I was interested in the idea of why and how I could create a new story, a new narrative in art history and a new narrative in the world. And to do this, I knew that I had to see the way in which artists work, understand the artist's studio as a laboratory, imagine, then, reinventing the museum as a think tank and looking at the exhibition as the ultimate white paper -- asking questions, providing the space to look and to think about answers.
我全部的計畫都是有關藝術, 尤其是黑人藝術家, 大家都聽過他們的名字, 他們所創造的藝術形式 能夠改變 我們周遭的文化以及我們本身的思維。 我對藝術家很有興趣, 他們了解歷史,甚至改變歷史, 他們透過 全世界龐大的藝術史中 尋找自我, 而非那些開創了全新的領域 讓我們去探索的藝術家。 我跟各位介紹2位藝術家,葛倫-利根(Glenn Ligon)和卡洛-渥克(Carol Walker), 身為美術館館長的我 這二位給了我 必須傳播給眾人的一些重要問題。 這就是我今天要分享的主題 是關於我 該如何並為何 創造一個新故事 創造一個述說藝術歷史的故事 創造一個全新的敘事體。 為了做到這點, 我知道自己必須先去觀察藝術家是怎麼工作的, 藝術家的工作室 就像一個實驗室, 想像一下, 美術館就像是一個智庫 而館內的這些展覽 就像一張白紙, 美術館會提出問題,並提供空間 讓人們去尋找並思考答案。
In 1994, when I was a curator at the Whitney Museum, I made an exhibition called Black Male. It looked at the intersection of race and gender in contemporary American art. It sought to express the ways in which art could provide a space for dialogue -- complicated dialogue, dialogue with many, many points of entry -- and how the museum could be the space for this contest of ideas. This exhibition included over 20 artists of various ages and races, but all looking at black masculinity from a very particular point of view. What was significant about this exhibition is the way in which it engaged me in my role as a curator, as a catalyst, for this dialogue. One of the things that happened very distinctly in the course of this exhibition is I was confronted with the idea of how powerful images can be in people's understanding of themselves and each other.
在1994年, 當我還是惠特尼博物館(Whitney Museum)的館長時, 我策劃了一個展覽,名為"黑人男性"(Black Male), 內容是,從當代的美國藝術觀中, 觀察種族和性別議題所交會而成的 十字路口。 展覽試圖表現出, 藝術 能提供與觀眾對話的空間, 複雜的對話, 各種不同角度的對話討論, 還有美術館是如何針對這種爭論性的議題 提供討論的空間。 這次展覽 有超過20名 年紀與種族非常多元的藝術家參加, 他們都從非常特別的觀點 來觀察有關黑人的男性特徵。 這個展覽最重要的地方是 提供了一個機會 讓我能以 館長的身分,像是某種催化劑的身份 參與這次對話。 在這次展覽中 最特別事情就是, 我體認到 畫作是多麼的有力量 而且讓人們互相的體認了解。
I'm showing you two works, one on the right by Leon Golub, one on the left by Robert Colescott. And in the course of the exhibition -- which was contentious, controversial and ultimately, for me, life-changing in my sense of what art could be -- a woman came up to me on the gallery floor to express her concern about the nature of how powerful images could be and how we understood each other. And she pointed to the work on the left to tell me how problematic this image was, as it related, for her, to the idea of how black people had been represented. And she pointed to the image on the right as an example, to me, of the kind of dignity that needed to be portrayed to work against those images in the media. She then assigned these works racial identities, basically saying to me that the work on the right, clearly, was made by a black artist, the work on the left, clearly, by a white artist, when, in effect, that was the opposite case: Bob Colescott, African-American artist; Leon Golub, a white artist. The point of that for me was to say -- in that space, in that moment -- that I really, more than anything, wanted to understand how images could work, how images did work, and how artists provided a space bigger than one that we could imagine in our day-to-day lives to work through these images.
讓我給各位看看2幅作品,右邊那幅是里昂-古勒博(Leon Golub)的作品, 左邊這幅是羅伯特-柯爾史考特(Robert Colescott)的作品。 在展覽期間, 是經常受到爭議的 而展覽對我而言, 基本上改變了我的生命, 還有我對藝術的觀感, 在畫作展示室裡,有個女人走向我 對我闡述她所關心的議題 闡述這些圖畫帶來的震撼度 以及不同種族之間如何認識彼此。 她指著左邊這幅作品 並告訴我這幅作品會延伸出許多麻煩, 對她而言,這作品涉及到 過去黑人所代表的負面形象。 然後,他又指著右邊的作品說 這是一幅有關黑人尊嚴的作品 需要再加以深刻描繪 才能平反一般大眾媒體對黑人的印象。 她將這些作品冠上種族的身分 她認為右手邊這幅作品 是黑人藝術家的作品, 而左手邊的是白人藝術家所做, 恩,事實上 正好相反。 包柏-柯爾史考特,是一位非洲裔的美國藝術家, 里昂-古勒博,則是一位白人藝術家。 對我來說,這件事 在特定的空間裡,在那一刻裡, 我最想要做的, 就是去了解 這些圖畫的繪製過程,以及 藝術家們是如何 提供了一個想像空間 比我們在日常生活中所能想像到的範圍 還要更為巨大。
Fast-forward and I end up in Harlem; home for many of black America, very much the psychic heart of the black experience, really the place where the Harlem Renaissance existed. Harlem now, sort of explaining and thinking of itself in this part of the century, looking both backwards and forwards ... I always say Harlem is an interesting community because, unlike many other places, it thinks of itself in the past, present and the future simultaneously; no one speaks of it just in the now. It's always what it was and what it can be. And, in thinking about that, then my second project, the second question I ask is: Can a museum be a catalyst in a community? Can a museum house artists and allow them to be change agents as communities rethink themselves? This is Harlem, actually, on January 20th, thinking about itself in a very wonderful way.
把時間往後推移,後來我離開了哈林地區, 這裡是屬於許多美國黑人的家, 這裡充滿了 屬於黑人精神的傳統文化, 是哈林文藝復興運動的地點。 目前哈林這個地方, 正在思考詮釋自身在這個世紀裡的定位, 不但向前看,也會回顧過去。 我總是認為哈林是個有趣的社區, 這裡會不同於其他的地方,是因為 這裡總是會思考著過去的歷史, 同時也會思考目前的定位以及未來的展望。 在這裡,沒有人只會討論當下。 時時刻刻都在想過去是什麼,以及未來會是什麼。 所以,各位想一想, 在我的第二個專案中,我要提出第二個疑問。 一間美術館 是否能夠成為某群體進步的催化劑呢? 博物館內的藝術家們 是否能成為變革的媒介 讓某群體內的人能重新思考自身價值? 事實上,在1月20日這天, 是自我反省的好時點。
So I work now at The Studio Museum in Harlem, thinking about exhibitions there, thinking about what it means to discover art's possibility. Now, what does this mean to some of you? In some cases, I know that many of you are involved in cross-cultural dialogues, you're involved in ideas of creativity and innovation. Think about the place that artists can play in that -- that is the kind of incubation and advocacy that I work towards, in working with young, black artists. Think about artists, not as content providers, though they can be brilliant at that, but, again, as real catalysts.
我目前在哈林工作室博物館工作, 思考著館內的展覽, 思考著這些展覽 對於發現藝術的其他可能性有何意義? 而這些展覽又對各位有什麼意義? 在某些情況下,我知道在場的其中一些人 會想說,這有跨文化的意義, 有些人會想說,有創意與創新的意義。 美術館是藝術家遊戲的地方。 我努力,讓這裡成為一個 培養和宣傳年輕黑人藝術家的地方。 別老認為把藝術家是內容提供者, 雖然他們的作品總是絢麗璀璨, 但應該要認為他們是實體的催化劑。
The Studio Museum was founded in the late 60s. And I bring this up because it's important to locate this practice in history. To look at 1968, in the incredible historic moment that it is, and think of the arc that has happened since then, to think of the possibilities that we are all privileged to stand in today and imagine that this museum that came out of a moment of great protest and one that was so much about examining the history and the legacy of important African-American artists to the history of art in this country like Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis, Romare Bearden.
哈林工作室博物館成立於60年代晚期。 我會來到這裡,是因為 它在歷史上的特殊定位, 回頭看看1968年(註:此博物館開幕), 非常不可思議的歷史性時刻, 想想看從那時候所發生的一切, 想想看我們 現在能安然站在這裡的可能性, 想像一下當時這間美術館 從激烈抗爭中誕生的那一刻, 重要的是 它如何檢視歷史,以及 保存這個國家的藝術歷史上 重要的非裔美國藝術家遺產, 像是 雅各布-勞倫斯(Jacob Lawrence)、諾曼-路易斯(Norman Lewis)、 羅馬-貝爾登(Romare Beardon)。
And then, of course, to bring us to today. In 1975, Muhammad Ali gave a lecture at Harvard University. After his lecture, a student got up and said to him, "Give us a poem." And Mohammed Ali said, "Me, we." A profound statement about the individual and the community. The space in which now, in my project of discovery, of thinking about artists, of trying to define what might be black art cultural movement of the 21st century. What that might mean for cultural movements all over this moment, the "me, we" seems incredibly prescient totally important.
當然,還有 它帶給當今人們的事物。 在1975年,穆罕默德-阿里(Mohammed Ali,世界級拳王) 在哈佛大學舉辦了一場演講。 在演講之後,一位學生站了起來並對他說: "給我們一首詩吧"(註:阿里在比賽前都會作詩,來預測第幾回合擊倒對手) 阿里就說:"我,我們"(Me, We) 這對於個人和社會的深奧陳述, 就在目前美術館這個空間裡, 我的計畫在於利用這個空間去發現、思考藝術家們、 以及試著定義出 黑人文化運動 在21世紀中的動向。 而對於此刻中 所有的文化運動來說, "我,我們"這短句裡 非常的有先見之明, 非常重要。
To this end, the specific project that has made this possible for me is a series of exhibitions, all titled with an F -- Freestyle, Frequency and Flow -- which have set out to discover and define the young, black artists working in this moment who I feel strongly will continue to work over the next many years. This series of exhibitions was made specifically to try and question the idea of what it would mean now, at this point in history, to see art as a catalyst; what it means now, at this point in history, as we define and redefine culture, black culture specifically in my case, but culture generally. I named this group of artists around an idea, which I put out there called post-black, really meant to define them as artists who came and start their work now, looking back at history but start in this moment, historically.
為了達到這個目的, 我策劃了 一系列的展覽, 這些展覽的名稱都是F字頭, 自由風格(Freestyle)、頻率(Frequency)、流動(Flow) 這些展覽已經發掘、 和闡明 一些當代的年輕黑人藝術家, 這些藝術家都是我認為 將會在未來數年繼續不斷活耀的人。 這一系列展覽 舉辦的特別之處 都是在嘗試和質疑 一個想法, 這想法就是,在目前這個時刻 該如何把藝術當作催化劑, 在目前這個時刻, 我們該如何定義和重新定義文化 尤其是黑人文化, 而非一般的文化。 我將這些 圍繞在這些問題方向的藝術家, 稱為"後黑派"(post-black)。 這是為了定義那些 前來創作的藝術家們, 他們回顧歷史,同時又為了歷史性的這一刻而努力。
It is really in this sense of discovery that I have a new set of questions that I'm asking. This new set of questions is: What does it mean, right now, to be African-American in America? What can artwork say about this? Where can a museum exist as the place for us all to have this conversation? Really, most exciting about this is thinking about the energy and the excitement that young artists can bring. Their works for me are about, not always just simply about the aesthetic innovation that their minds imagine, that their visions create and put out there in the world, but more, perhaps, importantly, through the excitement of the community that they create as important voices that would allow us right now to understand our situation, as well as in the future. I am continually amazed by the way in which the subject of race can take itself in many places that we don't imagine it should be. I am always amazed by the way in which artists are willing to do that in their work. It is why I look to art. It's why I ask questions of art. It is why I make exhibitions.
在這個過程中 又引發我提出了另一問題。 這新的問題就是: 就目前而言, 國內的非裔美國人又代表著什麼涵義? 藝術品能針對此點表達什麼嗎? 現存的哪座美術館 能夠提供一個空間 提供給我們這樣的對話? 老實說,最讓人感到興奮的地方, 就是那些年輕藝術家所能帶來的 能量與激情。 他們的作品對我來說, 簡單來說 都是一種美學上的創新, 這來自於他們心中的意象、想像力 然後呈現在眾人面前, 但,或許更重要的是 透過這些黑人群體的熱情 他們發出了不可忽視的聲音, 這讓我們了解到當今的處境, 還有未來的定位。 我一直感到吃驚的是 透過這種 有關種族的主題, 可以帶我們遊覽到那些 我們從未想像到的境界。 另一個讓我感到吃驚的是 這些藝術家願意 針對這些主題創作的手法。 這就是我關注藝術的原因。 這就是我會對藝術提出問題的原因。 這就是我策展的原因。
Now, this exhibition, as I said, 40 young artists done over the course of eight years, and for me it's about considering the implications. It's considering the implications of what this generation has to say to the rest of us. It's considering what it means for these artists to be both out in the world as their work travels, but in their communities as people who are seeing and thinking about the issues that face us. It's also about thinking about the creative spirit and nurturing it, and imagining, particularly in urban America, about the nurturing of the spirit.
就如同我剛說的,這個展覽, 耗費了40位年輕藝術家8年的時間, 對我來說,這展覽有其他涵義。 這涵義就是 這些年輕一代要對其他人傳達的對話。 而這涵義也包括了 當他們的作品展露於全世界的意義, 還有在同類群體中的意義, 就像人們會觀察且思索 自身所面對的問題一樣。 這展覽也對 創意精神和該如何培養創意進行了思索。 想想看,尤其是在美國的都會區, 該如何培養這種精神。
Now, where, perhaps, does this end up right now? For me, it is about re-imagining this cultural discourse in an international context. So the last iteration of this project has been called Flow, with the idea now of creating a real network of artists around the world; really looking, not so much from Harlem and out, but looking across, and Flow looked at artists all born on the continent of Africa. And as many of us think about that continent and think about what if means to us all in the 21st century, I have begun that looking through artists, through artworks, and imagining what they can tell us about the future, what they tell us about our future, and what they create in their sense of offering us this great possibility of watching that continent emerge as part of our bigger dialogue. So, what do I discover
現在,喔,或許該做個結尾了? 對我來說,是時候去重新思考 在國際化背景下的文化交流。 在這個計畫的最後 稱為"漂流"(Flow), 這展覽的概念是要建構 能將世界各地藝術家串聯起來的 真實網絡, 它並不是只關注哈林地區或是周圍, 而是到全世界。 "流動"關注所有出生於非洲的藝術家。 如同我們思索著這片大陸 思索著在21世紀中 這片大陸對我們的意義, 我已經開始 透過藝術家,透過藝術品, 推測他們能說出怎樣的未來, 推測他們對我們未來的闡述, 推測他們所創造的內涵為何, 這讓我們更能去觀察 這片能提供各種不同對話的 一部份。 所以,當我關注藝術品時
when I look at artworks? What do I think about when I think about art? I feel like the privilege I've had as a curator is not just the discovery of new works, the discovery of exciting works. But, really, it has been what I've discovered about myself and what I can offer in the space of an exhibition, to talk about beauty, to talk about power, to talk about ourselves, and to talk and speak to each other. That's what makes me get up every day and want to think about this generation of black artists and artists around the world.
究竟有什麼發現? 當我思索著藝術時 究竟想到了什麼? 我感覺到,過去身為館長的好處 並不只限於發掘新作品、 或是發掘令人興奮的作品, 而應該是 對於自我的探索, 以及我在這展覽的空間中 能提供什麼給大眾, 不管是探討美、探討力量, 探討自身, 或是探討彼此對話的主題。 而我每天早上起床後, 都會去思考有關 當今全世界的黑人藝術家與其他藝術家的意義。
Thank you. (Applause)
謝謝各位。