The Weather Extremes

The Observatory forecasted that there would be snow in Paris today but rather disappointly, there was none. Nonetheless, this is a rare winter in Paris to have such a heavy snow in late November. The weather is getting cold, -1 degree celcius today.

A friend told me that it is -25 degree celcius in Beijing, colder than in Europe. The climate is changing which makes 2005 the record of extreme weather. Read from a Canadian newspaper that this year, according to records, has been hotter than any other year since records began. It is also the worst Atlantic hurricane season with 26 tropical storms, 14 hurricanes and 5 top-category hurricanes to break the history of human record.

While the Arctic melting is the most serious this year, the Amazon is also the driest for many decades, and the higher temperatures in the Caribbean caused vast damage of coral reefs.

The Astro-scientists who has met recently in an UN conference in Montreal (a familiar scene we have in The Day After Tomorrow) revealed that "night-time temperatures have been increasing for two-thirds of the earth's land mass since 1950". They said the rise is directly linked to "increasing atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases generated by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels". Well, I don't really understand what it means here with my retarded scientific brain. All I know is that we are destorying ourselves.

展出達達

原文刊載於《藝術地圖》2006年2月號

DADA
2005年10月5日至2006年1月9日
龐畢度中心一號展覽館
策展人︰Laurent Le Bon
http://www.centrepompidou.fr/Pompidou/Accueil.nsf/tunnel?OpenForm

1917年，Duchamp在一小便器簽上R. Mutt的名字，並為其題名為《噴泉》，提交到紐約獨立藝術家協會參展。作品被拒絕展出，Duchamp便在《The Blind Man》雜誌上為小便器辯護。他指，藝術家「選擇」了它，它便不再是一件器皿，而被提昇為藝術品。這個耳熟能詳的小故事展開了近百年來的「杜尚難題」一當代藝術公案──何為藝術？

如果將Duchamp的「反藝術」放在歷史上看，藝術在經歷了數千年的發展演變，由原始至成熟至超越，其自身是否已內部瓦解？藝術的概念是否已耗盡了，即將出現的任何現象都不再有意義？藝術是否已死？這些問題是今天當代藝術的關注，其源頭卻始於二十世紀初的一股挑戰傳統價值觀的藝術運動 ── 達達主義 (Dadaism)。

達達運動起源於第一次世界大戰期間。戰爭的殘暴及非理性否定了人類的文明，給當時的藝術家帶來了很大的衝擊及反思。一批流亡蘇黎世的年輕藝術家及詩人於Cabaret Voltaire咖啡廳成立達達派，同時，由Duchamp、Man Ray等人在紐約領導，發起了反戰爭、反傳統、反藝術、反美學、反建制、反理性的藝術、文學、政治運動。當中的核心人物都很年輕，如靈魂人物Tristan Tzara只有20歲、André Bréton 20歲、Louis Aragon 19歲、George Grosz 23歲、Max Ernst 25歲、Man Ray 26歲、Marchel Duchamp 29歲。

這些年青人以大膽前衛的思想，挑戰一切既定價值觀。藝術家的簽名有甚麼意義？簽上名字的物件就是藝術品？甚麼是身份？甚麼是美感？達達們經常以面具或偽裝來玩轉身份，例如Man Ray化名為Emanuel Rabinovitch拍攝的Duchamp反串女裝扮Rrose Sélavy (法文發音︰"Eros, c'est la vie", 即 "Eros is life")的一系列作品，又如Schwitters以詩中虛構人物Anna Blume自居，其他人則以藝名、匿名發表作品。他們又以生活中最不起眼的東西、垃圾作為創作對像及材料，在物件上簽上名字，幾乎毫不修飾地拿進博物館展覽，如Duchamp的《Dust Breeding》(1920)中的塵埃、《In Advance of the Broken Arm 》(1915)中的鐵鏟、Man Ray的《Moving Sculpture》(1920)中的涼衣架等。「Readymade」成為了達達們的標誌，Duchamp往往會在作品中宣告︰「藝術家的選擇令工業生產的物件脫離原來的意義並提昇為藝術品。」達達們摘下藝術的光暈(aura)，同時亦給當時的藝術界投下一棵炸彈。

達達是一系列遊戲的過程及結果，達達們是拒絕長大、拒絕妥協的大頑童，套用今天的術語，即所謂「kidult」。「達達」這個名字的來源，也是一個遊戲，它是打開字典，用刀一指，哪個就哪個的傑作，一切都是來得隨意和富冒險精神。是以，下象棋成為了Duchamp及Man Ray的思考方式和創作靈感，他們的棋局記錄、棋盤照片，甚至下過的棋，統統成為了藝術品。詩人/藝術家Tzara的《Manifeste sur l'amour faible et l'armour amer》更加體現了這種隨機式。Tzara教大家寫一首達達詩，首先，從報紙剪下一篇文章，小心地把每個字剪開，把單字放進袋子裡，一個一個抽出，誠實地按次序抄下，加上標點，就成為一首達達詩。這種完全機遇性的遊戲，把傳統文學的價值化為零，甚麼是文學？甚麼是教育？甚麼是學院？甚麼是體制？缺乏意識、純機遇及遊戲性質的創作方式直指達達主義的中心︰沒有動機、沒有理性分析的創作概念正是他們要宣示的動機與分析。

甚麼是繪畫？這是達達們的另一個質詢。某某藝術家在件品上簽了名字，那件物件就有市場價值，那如果在一張畫布上，每個藝術家畫一筆，砌成一件作品，那它還有市場價值嗎？這是達達作品中最為吊詭的一件，即Francis Picabia的《L'oeil Cacodylate》(1921)，「拼貼」成為了達達的另一表現模式。另一極具爭議的作品，便是Duchamp為Mona Lisa加上兩撇鬍子的《L.H.O.O.Q》(1919)，很多人看過這個作品，但作品的名字卻不是人人說得清。「L.H.O.O.Q」以法文諗起來是「Elle a chaud au cul」，即「she is horny」的意思。作品展出時當然被衛道之士群起而攻之，或許時至今日斥其為「忤逆」的還大有人在。

對於達達來說，作品本身並不重要，重要的是概念和過程，他們沒有打算要為後人留下甚麼，亦不在意歷史的評價，因為他們的出現就是為了批判歷史。對於這樣一個反建制、反系統的藝術思潮，今天我們再次將它梳理、歸納進歷史版圖，以至要展出達達，是否自相矛盾、徒勞無功？2005年龐畢度中心的重點展覽節目「DADA」便嘗試回答這個問題。這個有史以來最大型、最全面的一次達達展覽，可說是為達達進行大平反。歷史對達達的爭議還未停止，有人說他們是藝術史上的劣童，有人說他們是二十世紀前衛藝術的先驅，肯定的一點是達達的餘震今天還在抽動著每一個當代藝術家的神經。

佔地二千二百平方米的一號展覽館，被劃分為四十多個約三十平分米的小房間，每個房間展出一個主題(如右圖)。這個展覽建築設計者為Daniel Buren，他在《Le Musée qui n'existait pas展覽》(龐畢度，2002)時設計了這個展出方案，雖然最他沒有用這個設計，但據聞，他還擁有這個展覽設計的版權。這個貌似棋盤的設計圖和達達主義不謀而合。每個房間都有四個進出口，參觀者每到一房間便有四個可能性，大家可以隨意選擇方向及路線圖，充分反映了達達們的隨意的遊戲精神。房間的次序沒有主線可依，有的以城市、有的以題材、有的以藝術家、有的以媒介、有的則以時期來劃分。所以，任由你怎樣穿插、怎樣左轉右轉，你總能找到一個「看」的方法。問題，這個像棋盤的設計和下棋一樣難，往往令參觀者猶如進入迷宮，不斷轉圈。

展覽共出了二千多件作品，是最完整的一次達達展。當中很多是未曾展出過的手稿，如達達們之間的通訊、創作詩文的原稿、達達們的照片記錄等。一進入展覽館的第一個房間，左手邊是有關達達主義的簡介，右手邊是數十幅照片，彷如劇本或電影的開頭，先由角色向觀眾打個照面。這些相片，大部份是Man Ray拍攝的，從當中頑皮搞笑的造型，你幾乎可於想像，這些照片和大家的生活照沒甚分別，都是達達們聚集、談天、下棋時的記錄。其中一個房間展出了Tzara在上世紀二十年代時準備出版的《Dadaglobe – 達達作品全集》手稿，Tzara計劃出版全球所有與達達有關或受達達影響下創作的詩、文及藝術作品。可惜這本達達全集從來沒有出現過。另一個房間「Dada-Messe」則重建了1920年在柏林Otto Burchard Gallery舉行的「第一屆國際達達展」的部份場景。

展覽亦再次重申了達達主義為現代前衛藝術之始，超現實主義及純抽像主義早是數位達達藝術家的創作方向，如Max Ernst早在「超現實主義」這名堂出現前，即達達時期已創作了多件富超現實精神的作品，如《Aquis submerses》(1919)及《Deux enfants sont menacés par un rossignol》(1924)。

展覽畫冊更令人印象深刻，1,024頁的畫冊猶如年鑑般地收錄了二千多件作品及二百五十篇評論文章。由「A」至「Z」的排列方式與展覽的分題方式互相呼應，多條主線出發，以不同題材、城市、藝術家、時期等入題；結果是︰找不到展覽介紹？喔，請揭至第514頁。幸好紙張選用了約52gsm的薄紙，質感和顏色接近達達們印製的二十年代的報紙。

這個展覽未能釐清的一點是達達們的反叛和抗衡精神。如果說，達達的作品對藝術以至整個藝術體系有極重的譏諷和調侃玩味，那今天我們再次將達達的作品鎖進展覽櫃，貼上「請勿觸摸」、「請勿拍攝」的字句，甚或這些作品都已成為各大博物館爭相高價購入的「館藏」時，那達達們現在要說一句︰「革命尚未成功，同志仍須努力」﹗

達達在上世紀二十年代中後期開始衰落，但沒有正式的結束年份。其短短十多年的生命燃燒得精彩無比，綻放的光彩至今依然刺目，達達們提出的尖銳而徹底的問題使我們無從迴避。可以說，現代或當代藝術的每一個派系或運動，都是達達的延申或變奏。這亦是Bréton的宣判︰「基本上，達達之後，我們甚麼都沒有做過」﹗


Photo Credits:
Pic 1: Marcel Duchamp Fountain 1917/1964. Readymade: porcelain urinal. 23.5 x 18 cm, hight 60 cm. Private collection
Pic 2: Marcel Duchamp Reproduction of L.H.O.O.Q. 1919. from Box in a Valise. Readymade: pencil on a reproduction of the Mona Lisa. 19.7 x 12.4 cm. The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Pic 3: Man Ray (Emanuel Rabinovitch) Duchamp as Rrose Selavy 1919 - 1921
Pic 4: Marcel Duchamp In Advance of the Broken Arm. 1915. Readymade: show shovel, wood and galvanized iron. 121.3 cm. Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT, USA.
Pic 5: Max Ernst, Ein Kupferblech, 1919-1920, collage with gouache and pencil on paper

頭條新聞

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3216,36-717336@51-715568,0.html


今天香港黑壓壓的，因為大家都等不下去了。

從網絡上看香港的新聞，比在香港時拿著一份報紙看得更多條的新聞，但感覺始終是隔岸觀火。如果我在香港，我今天會去遊行嗎？這個問題昨天和巴黎的兩個香港朋友討論過，答案一致是不會，因為整件事情的邏輯錯了。現在已經不是普不普選、甚麼時候普選的問題，而是誰人下不了台？以及怎樣找下台階。不想被利用，所以不去遊行。

看了香港的報紙，再看看法國的報紙。Le Monde的網絡版以香港十萬人遊行爭取普選為頭條，將此次遊行與2003年的五十萬人七一大遊行作比較，董建華年代和曾蔭權年代各自最大的遊行抗議，隨後董伯伯在數個月後下了台，那 Donald Tsang又會怎樣呢？會不會被陳太打敗呢？BBC 亦播導了這次遊行，同樣地與兩年前的大遊行相提並論。我們的前宗主國相信是最「隔岸觀火」的一個，詳盡地為自己的國民解釋了「相普選」、「時間表」等。

沒有參與遊行，反而可以想看看遊行的人。香港人經歷了數次大遊行，遊行的文化開始形成，成為了發揮創意的最佳場景。單單是道具一項，以前的六四週年遊行，往往是由支聯會派發標語牌、橫額。慢慢，開始有市民自製 T恤、橫額。03年七一時，最多人舉起的，是傳媒的遊行海報，同時開始有嘉年華式的氣氛與道具︰有樂隊邊彈邊唱，有人邊行邊舞，還有其他為求成為傳媒焦點的大型公仔道具。四五行動的道具往往有點吓人，以前遊行時，一定不會和他們走在一起。今年遊行的道具似乎又有新突破，不再是某某政客誇張的造型，反而多了市民自製有意思又極批判的造型。姑勿論是以甚麼樣貌出現，香港人遊行，向來以和平、有秩序舉世知名。這樣的公民質素是最佳的見證，向全世界說，我們已準備了很久、等待了很久，我們要民主。

相信「見一步行一步」這句話將成為香港人的口頭禪，同時亦開始了香港人的一個隱隱約約的夢想。香港可以走出這個悶局嗎？有轉機嗎？會再次峰迴路轉嗎？

相片一︰Photo credit Le Monde
相片二至五︰Photo credit 明報

羅馬尼亞感冒茶

有點想感冒
晚上出去吃飯時不小心淋了雨
回來很冷

Catalina找來了老祖宗傳下的秘方 --
奶奶花園摘下的薄荷
父親工作時採來的藥用茶葉
婆婆家蜂場養的蜂蜜
很有機的 她說

沖了茶
暖暖地喝了一杯
上了床睡覺
半夜身體滾燙
起了床 睡不着
看了書 又睡了

注︰第二天起床就沒事了，果然是老祖宗珍傳。

First Billiard

Wooo... the first billiard passed like an exciting game. That's the first time I play billiard. Watched some billiard or snooker matches on TV but never tried this game. It was of great fun.

We did a great job!! Catalina, Andrea, Ondrej and Petr!! With Petr's magic drink, we were getting high and sharp enough to clear the table. Ondrej loves red and I love black, that's the discovery for tonight!! I can't believe I can really hit the balls to the net, and watch out! as my favourite is the blacks, you either clear the colour ones and leave the black for me or I hit both the black and the colour to the net!! Sorry sorry, i felt great tonight!! It was a pity that we didn't bring camera tonight!!




You guys love this posture, no?!
(Pic from http://www.billiarddirectory.com)







I am going to do this gesture next time!!
(pic from http://www.billiarddirectory.com)


By the way, Petr, why don't we have white ball as shown in the pic?

我要為世界歌唱

下午四點

在巴黎猶太區 Rue des Roisiers 的一間小咖啡廳遇上這樣的一個女孩。
她名字叫Allison Crowe，來自加拿大的二十四歲女孩。喜歡自彈自唱，所以在鋼琴前加了一個麥克風。女孩有著特别渾厚的歌聲，喜歡激昂的曲目，激動時聲音特別響亮，有點嚷破喉嚨的感覺。

女孩喜歡大聲笑，所以每唱完一聲歌就會自己傻笑，告訴在場的每一個聽眾，我很開心可以為你們歌唱﹗女孩自己創造自己的歌曲，也唱偶像的名曲。女孩離不開情情愛愛，所以總要傷心地嚷著情人不要無情拋棄我。你們快樂嗎？女孩問。為甚麼快樂？真有甚麼值得你快樂的嗎？女孩又問。朋友說我很sacarstic，我是很sacarstic的，所以為大家唱一首歌，「I am happy now」。女孩說。

我甚麼都不會，只會唱歌彈唱。我甚麼都沒有，所以從加拿大跑到這裡為大家唱歌。

這裡，是位於這條猶太人聚居的小街的咖啡廳，7 Lezards。咖啡廳有搞音樂會的傳統，所以在地牢有一個小型的劇院，幾張桌子搭上梳發，可容納三十個客人，舒適地一邊喝茶一邊聽音樂。我們是趁了一個免費音樂會的名而來，不認這女孩，也不認識這咖啡廳，純粹因為是鋼琴爵士樂，更重要的是免費，乎合經濟及品味原則。

女孩用了兩個月時間，馬不停蹄，在南美和歐洲跑了一個圈，在各大城市找咖啡廳、酒吧等，讓她免費為來賓演唱。我在巴黎沒有朋友，也不是認識這個城市，我選擇了她作為我旅程的最後一站，因為我想像中的巴黎是很美的。她說。每一次，我都不知道有沒有人會來，如果有人來了，我會很高興。大家都不知道我是誰，但卻願意來這裡聽我唱歌，感覺很奇妙。如果沒有人來，我就當作是自己練習。哈哈哈﹗女孩喜歡大聲笑。

我不知道我會不會有出名的一天，但我這裡有免費的唱片要送給大家，如果大家想找我簽名，我會很開心﹗哈哈哈﹗女孩一邊彈一邊說。

離開了咖啡廳，口袋裡放著女孩的兩張唱片。記住的不是她的歌聲，而是她的話，我喜歡唱歌，所以我要為全世界歌唱。

相片來源及連結︰www.allisoncrowe.com

Little Prince, my rose and the fox

-- A 28 Nov 2005 version

The day when Little Prince decided to leave his planet, he came to his rose. He whispered to the first pedal of his rose, "my beautiful rose, I have to leave this planet and you have to stay in this soil for your own good. My beautiful rose, you have to grow and be brave. Don't be afriad, you are the most beautiful rose and you will shine with your courage".

His rose did not respond. Little Prince then whispered to the second pedal of his rose, "my beautiful rose, you are the one and the only one."

A drop of tear dropped from the pedals of his rose. Little Prince felt sad. He then whispered to the third pedal of his rose, "my beautiful rose, my heart is with you whereever I am."

A breeze blew over his rose, a pedal fell down onto the soil. Little Prince picked the pedal, put it close to his heart and set off his planet.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The day when Little Prince met the fox, he was sad.
The fox asked, "why are you sad, my friend?"

"My rose refuses to take the water I put in the jag before I left my planet, and now my beautiful rose is dying." Little Prince said, with the pedal close to his heart.

"Why your rose refuses to take the water you put in the jag before you left your planet?" asked the fox.

"Because she is angry with me," said Little Prince, with a drop of tear in his eye.

"Why she is angry with you, my friend?"

"Because I put the same water in the same jag for other roses,too," said Little Prince.

"So you have other roses in your planet", replied the fox.

"Yes, they make my planet more beautiful. But she is special, she is the one and the only one. Everymorning when the first sunlight shines on my planet, i would come to her, water her with the freshest morning dew. I would sit by her side while she takes the water and the air. Everynoon, when the breeze blows to my planet, I would come to her, cover her with my hands, so the soil would not dirt her pedals. Everynight, when the first moonlight appears in the starry sky, I would come to her, whisper to her, so she would not feel lonely. I share with her all my happiness and worries. I named her 'my rose', she is my only rose." Said Little Prince with his mind sank deep into his memory of his beautiful rose.

"Why she refuses to take the same water in the same jag with other roses, then?" asked the fox.

"I don't know", said Little Prince. "she would be angry when I water the other roses as the first sunlight shines on my planet; she would be angry when I cover the other roses when the afternoon breeze blows to my planet; she would be angry when I talk to other roses when the first moonlight appears in the starry sky." Said Little Prince.

"Ayhaa... so she is in love with you", said the fox.

"Love?" repeated Little Prince, "what is love?"

"Love, is to tame and to be tamed," said the fox.

"Love, is to tame and to be tamed," repeated Little Prince.

"Everymorning, your rose waits with great patience for the first sunlight to shine on your planet, for she, knows you would be there for her, to water her, to sit by her side. Her heart would beat fast when she hears your steps, her face would shine when she knows you will be sitting next to her.

"Everynoon, she expects with great courage for the breeze to blow so that you would cover her with your hands.

"Everynight, she prays for the moonlight to shine so that you would come to whisper your happiness and worries to her.

"She is tamed, my friend, she is tamed by you". Said the fox.

"She is tamed by me?" repeated Little Prince.

"She is tamed by you, so the first sunshine means not the beginning of the day but your love for her; so the afternoon breeze is no longer a danger but a proof of your love for her; so the moonlight talks are the private moments belong to you and her, just you and her. She would be jealous when you do the same to the other roses. So, she refuses to take the same water in the same jag with other roses." Said the fox.

"She is jealous? she is tamed?" asked Little Prince.

"So you are, my friend, you are tamed by your rose, too." Said the fox.

"I am tamed by my rose, too?" repeated Little Prince.

"You are tamed by your rose, so that you have to water her, to sit with her, to cover her, to talk to her, everymorning, everynoon, everynight. Your heart breaks when she refuses to take the water, to be covered by your hands, and to repond to your whispers. My friend, you are tamed by your rose, too." Said the fox.

"So I am tamed by my rose and my rose is tamed by me?" asked the Little Prince.

"So you are tamed by your rose and your rose is tamed by you," answered the fox.

Photos from http://www.lepetitprince.com/fr/

Flamenco Concert

Living in a student dorm doesn't mean that you are away from the city's hit. When you are in Paris, art and culture is everywhere for you, even when you live in a dorm. Well, can you imagine when you live in CUHK and can still enjoy free concerts everyweek?

Here is Paris.

So me too, I have many free tickets to concerts: piano, jazz band, contemporary dance, folk songs, flamenco, film screenings, photo exhibition, seminars, Mondaynight tango, etc.

This is one of the free concerts I attended, and the most remarkable one, so far. Perhaps there is also my personal bias for flamenco.

The hall where staged the show is the party hall of the residence where I am living. Simple equipment of lighting and stage set up, and yet, everybody enjoyed the show. The majority is in fact from the public, i.e. who paid 18 euro for the show. Differed from a proper theatre, the show allows you to take photos, video, and even audio record.

So, here I am, in my beloved Paris!!

巴黎的第一場雪 First Snow in Paris 2005

十一月的巴黎，開始飄雪了。 氣溫降到零下0.7 至0.4度。
The temperature dropped to 0.7 degree celcius.
Paris snows today!!

砌好的雪人，全靠三個大男孩的努力。不過還是醜醜的。 The snowman, after my friend's hardwork, stood there for three days!!

An alternative to French - on french as a language (1)

Like many countries, there exist different dialects in France, such as Picard, Normand, Orleanais and Champenois. The root of the Euskara, dialect of the Pays Basques, dated back to at least 2000 BC (avant notre ere) when Latin was not yet spoken. It was believed that French is evolved from a medieval Paris dialect known as Francien.

However, French as a language is so strong that overshadowed the other dialects. One reason why foreigners hardly know the fact. Today, most French don't speak these dialects. The progression line is like: grandparents know well and speak well the dialects, parents understand but don't know how to speak, young generation can neither understand nor speak the dialects, and the new generations don't even know there existed such a dialect. People regretting the loss of these beautiful local languages yet justifying the mastery of French as their most important preoccupation to be able to "function" in the society.

The first ruling of French as the official language was in 1539 when King Francois I passed the ordinance of Villers-Cotterets making French mandatory in all administrative documents. 150 years later, the first French dictionary was published by the Academie Francaise in 1694.

Despite the centralization and the "zero sum game" between the official language and the dialects, there is a secret language developed by the French criminals, the Argot. Balzac and Hugo are the defenders of Argot that they made their characters speak the language. Today, some of the Argot words sneaked into the modern French vocabularies, like fric (money) and mec (man). One of the forms of Argot that still exists today in the Arabic ghettos of the suburb is the Verlan. Verlan just reverses the syllables of a word, let me put it in an example with English, eg. "sunny" becomes "nysun". The word Verlan is itself the reverse of l'envers (reverse). The word ripou in French slang, which means "cop", is actually a Verlan word comes from the reverse of pourri (rotten).

French butchers in the 19th Century also created their own language, the Loucherbem (boucher). In the slang, they changed the first letter of all words into "L" and added bem, oche or oque at the end. So, my name becomes "Lelinaoche", "Lelinabem" or "Lelinaoque". Looks cool!!

Read from an interesting book on French