经济学人85:怀旧也是一种潮流

 　　Books and Arts; The Istanbul Biennial¹;Vintage is the new vanguard;

　　文艺；书评；伊斯坦布尔的艺术双年展；怀旧也是一种潮流；

　　Most art biennials are incoherent and exhausting. Istanbul's is an exception;

　　艺术双年展大多支离破碎江郎才尽。唯有伊斯坦布尔的双年展是个例外；

　　Virtually every day of the year sees another art biennial opening somewhere in the world. The role of these exhibitions is to showcase contemporary art, attract affluent² tourists and stimulate³ local culture. Most biennials are a sprawling⁴ mess—and the worst look like commercial art fairs studded with brand-name trophies⁵. However, those that succeed in making sense of some aspect of global culture can be both enlightening and memorable⁶. This year's Istanbul Biennial, which opened on September 17th and runs for almost two months, is a case in point. Poignant⁷, relevant and intellectually engaging, it has managed to create a coherent exhibition out of works by 130 artists from 41 countries—a rare achievement.

　　实际上，在一年中的每一天，在世界上的某个地方，都有一场艺术双年展会举办。这些展览的作用是展出当代艺术，吸引大量游客，并促进当地文化发展。大多数双年展不过是一团糟——最糟糕的看起来就像商业性质的艺术集会，到处充斥着品牌的战利品。不过，那些成功诠释了全球文化中某个方面的双年展倒是十分具有启发性，值得纪念。今年，于9月17日开幕，为期将近两个月的伊斯坦布尔艺术双年展就是这样一个双年展。动人，切题，十分具有知性吸引力，通过展出来自41个国家的130个艺术家的作品，它成功的创造出一场融会贯通的展览——取得了罕见的成功。

　　The Istanbul Biennial is held in two huge former warehouses⁸ on the banks of the Bosporus. Untamed, the buildings would force viewers into a monotonous⁹ marathon of spectatorship. But the biennial's curators, Adriano Pedrosa (a Brazilian) and Jens Hoffmann (a Costa Rican), enlisted¹⁰ the help of a master of exhibition design, a Japanese architect called Ryue Nishizawa, who has introduced new energy into the space by creating rooms of different sizes and marking off “exterior” spaces with corrugated-steel walls.

　　伊斯坦布尔双年展在博斯普鲁斯海峡岸边的两座巨大的老旧库房里举行。如果不加修饰的话，这种建筑很容易让观众陷入一种单调冗长的观赏过程之中。但是展馆馆长阿德里亚诺佩德罗萨（巴西人）和吉斯霍夫曼（哥斯达黎加人）得到了一个展馆设计大师的帮助，他是一位名叫西沢立卫的日本建筑师，他建造了几个大小不同的房间，并用波纹钢板墙将外部空间区分开来，通过以上方式为整个空间注入了活力。

　　As curators, Mr Pedrosa and Mr Hoffmann have also adopted an effective premise¹¹. Rather than using a theory or theme as a unifying¹² rubric, the biennial has a muse¹³—Félix González-Torres, an artist who died in 1996 and who was selected posthumously¹⁴ to be the official American representative at the 2007 Venice Biennale.

　　做为馆长，佩德罗萨和霍夫曼也采用了令人印象深刻的方式开幕。并没有用千遍一律的红字标注展览主题，这次的双年展自己的缪斯——菲利克斯冈萨雷斯托雷斯，这位艺术家1996就英年早逝，死后在2007年的维纳斯双年展上被选为正式的美国代表。

　　Born in Cuba and educated in Puerto Rico, González-Torres made minimalist conceptual works that were aesthetically¹⁵ innovative¹⁶ and politically sophisticated. Like its muse, the Istanbul Biennial is thoughtful rather than aggressive or sensationalist. “Activists spoon-feed messages but artists create works with layered meanings,” explains Mr Pedrosa.

　　冈萨雷斯托雷斯出生于古巴，求学于波多黎各，他创造的抽象主义作品兼具美学的创新性和政治的复杂性。就像它的缪斯一样，伊斯坦布尔双年展的风格是沉思的，而不是咄咄逼人或是多愁善感的。“政治活动家向人们强制性的灌输信息，然而艺术家创造意义层次分明的作品”，佩德罗萨如是解释道。

　　The biennial also has an intelligent structure. There are five group shows around the main themes that inspired González-Torres's work—love, death, abstraction, contested histories and territories. Each group show occupies a large grey room and acts as a hub for a cluster of solo shows featuring 50 artists, all in smaller white rooms. The elegant solution to the spaces stands in contrast to the names of the group shows, which repeat “Untitled” in an awkward manner. Nevertheless, it is moving to walk through the room called “ ‘Untitled' (Ross)” named after the artist's longtime lover, Ross Laycock, who died in 1991 of Aids-related causes, like González-Torres himself.

　　双年展的空间安排也十分讨喜。有五组展出冈萨雷斯托雷斯的作品主题——爱，死亡，抽象，历史纷争以及领土纷争。每一组展出都占据了一间灰色的大屋子，这些展出也是50个风格各异的艺术家的独展中心，所有的独展在一间小一点的白屋子里进行。和空间的完美分布形成对比的是展出的名字，这些展出都是清一色用一种尴尬的方式强调着“无题”这个名字。不过，你还是情不自禁的想去逛一逛这件名叫“无名（罗斯）”的房间，“无名（罗斯）”以冈萨雷斯托雷斯的最爱，罗斯雷科克命名，像冈萨雷斯一样，他也于1991年死于艾滋病。

　　Another of the group shows, “ ‘Untitled' (Passport # II)”, displays 20 works about maps and national identity. Hank Willis Thomas's “A Place to Call Home” depicts¹⁷ North America and Africa as big black continents joined by an isthmus¹⁸. Jorge Macchi's “Seascape” covers all the landmasses below the equator with cut-outs of the northern seas. Displayed as a commentary to Mr Macchi's drowned hemisphere is a video by Kutlug Ataman, one of Turkey's most critically acclaimed¹⁹ artists, which depicts bands of choppy sunlit water.

　　另一组展出名叫“无题（护照#II）”，展出了20幅关于地图和国籍的作品。汉克威利斯托马斯的作品“一个名叫家的地方”将北美洲和非洲刻画成了两个由地峡连接起来的黑色大洲。乔治马奇的《海景画》将北边的海洋剪掉，描绘了赤道以南的所有陆地形态。卡特拉格奥特曼制作了一个视频，算是对马奇将整个半球浸在水里的做法的评论，卡特拉格是土耳其最后非议的一位艺术家，他在视频里刻画了一排排波光里里的海浪。

　　In a series of vitrines in the same room, Baha Boukhari, a Ramallah-based cartoonist, shows the passports issued to his father under the British mandate²⁰ in Palestine. Many of the artworks incorporate objects and documents found in historical archives. Contemporary art in 2011 has a distinctly vintage feel.

　　在同一间房子里还摆放着一系列的玻璃橱窗，拉马拉籍卡托画家巴哈布克汗展示了英国在巴勒斯坦发行给父亲的护照。许多艺术作品都把就档案里找到的物品和文件组合在一起。2011年的当代艺术别有一番怀旧风味。

　　The curators are right not to let themselves be overly distracted by the latest thing; work made yesterday is not always the art that is most relevant to the present. They have chosen to include a range of historical artworks by women who they believe deserve greater recognition. For example, they have installed photo collages²¹ from Martha Rosler's “Bringing the War Home” series (pictured above), which were made during the Vietnam war between 1967 and 1972, but which still resonate because of America's continuing presence in Iraq and Afghanistan.

　　这两个馆长十分明智，没有过分受到潮流的影响；但是过去创造的作品并不总是和现在密切相关。于是他们选择了一系列由女艺术家创作的老作品，因为他们认为女性艺术家更应该受到公众认同。比如他们安插了一系列由玛莎罗丝拍摄的名为“把战争带回家”照片（见上图），这些照片摄于1967年到1972年越战时期，因为美国发动了伊拉克战争和阿富汗战争，所以它们在今天仍然能引起广泛共鸣

　　The Istanbul Biennial also gives solo shows to a number of exciting emerging artists. Many visitors were impressed with “Cabaret Crusades: The Horror Show File”, a video by Wael Shawky, an Egyptian artist, in which marionettes act out the story of the crusades from an Arab point of view. Also much discussed were “Tin Soldiers” by Ala Younis, a Jordanian, and “Historical Record Archive” by Dani Gal²², an Israeli artist.

　　伊斯坦布尔双年展还给许多令人振奋的艺术新星举办了独展。由希腊艺术家威尔夏科拍摄的视频——“卡巴来改革：恐怖展览档案”给许多参观者留下了深刻的印象，在这段视频里，他从阿拉伯视角，用各种木偶演绎了改革的故事。约旦艺术家阿拉又斯的“小锡兵”和以色列艺术家丹尼盖尔的“历史档案记录”也掀起了一场热议。

　　It is interesting to view these works against the background of the recent political upheavals²³ in the Middle East and to see the unexpected interaction between Arab artists and those from South America. Both areas are on the periphery²⁴ of European modernity and the biennial's artists have found much common ground over urban decay, disenfranchisement and the arbitrariness of national borders. Mr Pedrosa and Mr Hoffmann have played to their strengths, choosing more artists from South America than any other continent. It is a testament²⁵ to the Turkish philanthropists who underwrite the biennial, particularly the Koc and Eczacibasi families, that the curators came under no pressure to include more local artists. Indeed, the stylish²⁶ internationalism of the Istanbul Biennial feels entirely²⁷ natural.

　　在近期中东政治动荡的大背景下审视这些作品是件很有意思的事情，还能乎意料的看到来自阿拉伯和南美的艺术家之间的互动。这两个地方都深受欧洲现代性影响，来参加双年展的艺术家们在城市堕落，民权丧失以及国界犯罪猖獗等方面找到了共同话题。佩德罗萨和霍夫曼凭借一定便利请到了许多南美艺术家，要多于来自其他大洲的艺术家。这次双年展也见证了赞助方土耳其的慈善精神，尤其是科克和伊扎斯巴斯两大家族，两位馆长以及许多当地的艺术家都来自这两大家族。毋庸置疑的是，伊斯坦布尔双年展的国际风格毫不做作，给人感觉十分自然。

1 biennial   

adj.两年一次的

参考例句：

• The workers were strongly against the biennial election.工人们强烈反对两年一次的选举。
• His is a biennial,and one of the most useful pasture plants we have.这是两年生植物，也是我们最有用的牧草之一。

2 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

3 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

4 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

5 trophies   

n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖

参考例句：

• His football trophies were prominently displayed in the kitchen. 他的足球奖杯陈列在厨房里显眼的位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hunter kept the lion's skin and head as trophies. 这猎人保存狮子的皮和头作为纪念品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

7 poignant   

adj.令人痛苦的，辛酸的，惨痛的

参考例句：

• His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
• It is especially poignant that he died on the day before his wedding.他在婚礼前一天去世了，这尤其令人悲恸。

8 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

9 monotonous   

adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的

参考例句：

• She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
• His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律，一个调调儿。

10 enlisted   

adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
• He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 premise   

n.前提；v.提论，预述

参考例句：

• Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
• We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。

12 unifying   

使联合( unify的现在分词 )； 使相同； 使一致； 统一

参考例句：

• In addition, there were certain religious bonds of a unifying kind. 此外，他们还有某种具有一种统一性质的宗教上的结合。
• There is a unifying theme, and that is the theme of information flow within biological systems. 我们可以用一个总的命题，把生物学系统内的信息流来作为这一研究主题。

13 muse   

n.缪斯（希腊神话中的女神），创作灵感

参考例句：

• His muse had deserted him,and he could no longer write.他已无灵感，不能再写作了。
• Many of the papers muse on the fate of the President.很多报纸都在揣测总统的命运。

14 posthumously   

adv.于死后，于身后；于著作者死后出版地

参考例句：

• He was confirmed posthumously as a member of the Chinese Communist Party. 他被追认为中国共产党党员。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her last book was published posthumously in 1948. 她最后的一本书在她死后于1948 年出版了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 aesthetically   

adv.美地，艺术地

参考例句：

• Segmental construction contributes toward aesthetically pleasing structures in many different sites. 对于许多不同的现场条件，分段施工都能提供美观，颇有魄力的桥型结构。
• All isolation techniques may be aesthetically unacceptable or even dirty. 所有的隔离方法都有可能在美观方面使人难以接受，或甚至是肮脏的。

16 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

17 depicts   

描绘，描画( depict的第三人称单数 )； 描述

参考例句：

• The book vividly depicts French society of the 1930s. 这本书生动地描绘了20 世纪30 年代的法国社会。
• He depicts the sordid and vulgar sides of life exclusively. 他只描写人生肮脏和庸俗的一面。

18 isthmus   

n.地峡

参考例句：

• North America is connected with South America by the Isthmus of Panama.巴拿马海峡把北美同南美连接起来。
• The north and south of the island are linked by a narrow isthmus.岛的北部和南部由一条狭窄的地峡相连。

19 acclaimed   

adj.受人欢迎的

参考例句：

• They acclaimed him as the best writer of the year. 他们称赞他为当年的最佳作者。
• Confuscius is acclaimed as a great thinker. 孔子被赞誉为伟大的思想家。

20 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

21 collages   

n.拼贴画( collage的名词复数 )；杂烩

参考例句：

• My work includes mixed media, paintings and digital collages. 我的工作包括混合媒介，绘画和数码拼贴。 来自互联网
• I love making photo collages. 我喜欢做照片拼贴。 来自互联网

22 gal   

n.姑娘，少女

参考例句：

• We decided to go with the gal from Merrill.我们决定和那个从梅里尔来的女孩合作。
• What's the name of the gal? 这个妞叫什么？

23 upheavals   

突然的巨变( upheaval的名词复数 )； 大动荡； 大变动； 胀起

参考例句：

• the latest upheavals in the education system 最近教育制度上的种种变更
• These political upheavals might well destroy the whole framework of society. 这些政治动乱很可能会破坏整个社会结构。

24 periphery   

n.(圆体的)外面；周围

参考例句：

• Geographically, the UK is on the periphery of Europe.从地理位置上讲，英国处于欧洲边缘。
• The periphery of the retina is very sensitive to motion.视网膜的外围对运动非常敏感。

25 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

26 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

27 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。