
石頭與大象
Stones and Elephants
雙頻道錄像裝置、即時線上搜尋程式、大牆輸出
Two-channel video installation, PVC banner printing
2019
共三版+1AP
13min
尺寸依場地而定
Dimensions variable
《⽯頭與⼤象》(2019)的故事背景援引於⾺來新⽂學經典《阿都拉傳》,作者阿都拉曾擔任⾺六甲⾏政⾸⻑法誇爾的秘書,他將在⾺來⻄亞⽣活的所⾒所聞記錄下來,此經典於 1849 年出版。此作品截取其中兩章節作為旁⽩:⾺六甲城牆 ⼀章中,描述了英國⼈如何破壞堅固的⾺六甲要塞以削弱⾺六甲,並將其歸還給荷蘭東印度公司;下⼀章中,他描繪了⾺六甲當地居⺠、威廉・法誇爾與他在⽣態學⽅⾯的興趣,特別是雇⽤巫師圍捕⼤象的情景。
在這件創作中,藝術家請到⾺來巫師以⾺來⽂朗讀此兩段故事做為畫外⾳,並為拍攝過程祈福。祈福的地點有⼆,其⼀位於現在⾺六甲歷史與⺠族學博物館內的中庭,此處為威廉・法誇爾當時在⿇六甲的辦公室區域。其⼆則是鄰近電塔的草地上,透過空拍機的特殊視點,⼀⽅⾯空拍機與電塔相輔相成做為攝影機具,另⼀⽅⾯也是作為影⽚中擬⼈化的演員,形成⼈(⾺來巫師)與⾮⼈(空拍機)之間的交流。除了空拍機所拍攝的畫⾯,還包括了不同的素材,其⼀是在《阿都拉傳》中提到的動物 - ⼤象,其⼆是在博物館附近的電塔。電塔作為訊號來源,既是空拍機訊號傳輸的依賴對象,卻⼜不能與其距離太近以免受到干擾。
此作品為雙頻道錄像裝置,在展出時需連接網路,才能針對與作品相關的關鍵字進⾏搜尋。隨著展出的時間拉⻑、網路和⽣活的變化,搜尋的內容也將有所不同,以此網絡技術與影像中的電塔網絡有所交互及呼應。⽽影⽚旁⽩所講述的內容是否真實發⽣其實也未可知,藝術家只能透過科技網絡作為記憶載體,如同旁⽩中提及:「這些都已經不在,顯⽰著這世上的事情是多麽易逝。」透過程式運算,每次的關鍵字搜尋都有所不同,呈現此作品不確定性中的⼀絲真實,藉此試圖回溯已不可考的歷史情景。
This work premiered on November 19th, 2019 in the Singapore Biennale.Stones and Elephants is derived from the Malay classic The Hikayat Abdullah. The author Abdullah, who once served as the secretary of Resident William Farquhar, chronicled his life in Malaysia and published his writings in 1849. This art piece excerpted two chapters from this literary classic to serve as narration. 'Melaka Fort' depicts how the British destroyed the strong fortress to weaken Malacca and return control of the region to the Dutch East India Company. In the next chapter, Abdullah describes the locals, William Farquhar and his interest in ecology, especially the scene of hiring a Malay shaman to order a round-up of elephants.
In this piece, the artist invited a Malay shaman to read these two stories in Malay as a voice-over and to pray for a peaceful filming trip. The rituals were held in two places. The first was located in the atrium inside the Malacca Museum of History and Ethnology. This was William Farquhar's office area in Malacca at that time, where he conducted official business. The other was on the grass near the transmission tower, using an airborne drone. The unique perspective offered by the drone allowed, on the one hand, the drone and the transmission tower to serve complementary roles as tools of photography. On the other hand, the tower also fulfilled an anthropomorphic role in the film, creating a unique relationship between the human (the Malay shaman) and the non-human (the drone). Apart from the pictures taken by the drone, other materials are also included in the piece. The first is the elephant mentioned in The Hikayat Abdullah, and another is the transmission tower near the museum. The drone depends on the tower as the source of its signals, but the drone also cannot venture too close to the tower for fear of signal interference.
This work is a two-channel video installation. During the exhibition, it must be connected to the Internet for visitors to search for keywords related to this work. Changes to the network and visitors’ daily lives will occur as the exhibition goes on, and consequently, the contents and results of the online searches will also become different. This networking technology corresponds strongly with the network between the transmission tower and the drone in the film. However, it is also unknown whether the story in the narration happened in actuality. The artist can only use technology and the Internet as a vessel for memories. As stated in the narration, 'all these have passed, showing that everything is such fragile.' Algorithms ensure that every keyword search will show different results, presenting a bit of truth among the uncertainty of this work. Through this, an attempt is made to retrace historical scenes that have been lost to time.