The reading talked about how translation is itself a problem and not a solution. Why do we see a need to translate? The term “the translator is a betrayer” is also true as the way we translate is based on our cultural background and preconceived knowledge. Nietzsche states that “truths are illusions of which one has forgotten that they are illusions.” It is an irony that although we know that translation in itself is a problem, we are constantly trying to find meaning in things around us. When it comes to Art, are we actually being biased? Like when we interpret, we are actually coming up with new meanings instead of understanding the original intention of what the artist is trying to say.
It is necessary for me to try to understand the cultural, academic, socio-economic background of Kai Lam, to understand what makes him do his art work as it is. Is it his translation of the socio-economic situation in Singapore? What is his source (object of enquiry)? How does he translate it? Is he trying to be critical by re-emphasizing/repeating the images? Is he doing it through humour? His 56 hour durational performance according to the artist statement is “…an ongoing attempt by Kai Lam to relate and translate physical art objects, sounds and visual texts randomly into art actions and creating an installation environment..”[1]
At one point it may seem ritualistic with the smell of incense burning, added on with the raw (half-completed renovation) look of the interior of the building (107+109 Rowell Rd). The bag that says “the music shall not be ipodised” when translated may mean that the sound/music that was being played will not be played repeatedly unlike a music that can be played on an Ipod. The term ‘ipodised’ is itself a translation of Kai’s understanding of the device, Ipod. Is he talking about things that are repeated and lost in the act of repetition? If that is so, why does he repeat ‘5 stars and a crescent in his work’? Repetition may be an act of emphasizing the importance but too much may also cause a lost of meaning.
At the end of the day, my interpretation of his work may be biased and may be totally different from the way he define his work. It is interesting to see how an artwork can have many meanings which can be an irony as an artist does Art to share his/her opinion of things around him.
It is necessary for me to try to understand the cultural, academic, socio-economic background of Kai Lam, to understand what makes him do his art work as it is. Is it his translation of the socio-economic situation in Singapore? What is his source (object of enquiry)? How does he translate it? Is he trying to be critical by re-emphasizing/repeating the images? Is he doing it through humour? His 56 hour durational performance according to the artist statement is “…an ongoing attempt by Kai Lam to relate and translate physical art objects, sounds and visual texts randomly into art actions and creating an installation environment..”[1]
At one point it may seem ritualistic with the smell of incense burning, added on with the raw (half-completed renovation) look of the interior of the building (107+109 Rowell Rd). The bag that says “the music shall not be ipodised” when translated may mean that the sound/music that was being played will not be played repeatedly unlike a music that can be played on an Ipod. The term ‘ipodised’ is itself a translation of Kai’s understanding of the device, Ipod. Is he talking about things that are repeated and lost in the act of repetition? If that is so, why does he repeat ‘5 stars and a crescent in his work’? Repetition may be an act of emphasizing the importance but too much may also cause a lost of meaning.
At the end of the day, my interpretation of his work may be biased and may be totally different from the way he define his work. It is interesting to see how an artwork can have many meanings which can be an irony as an artist does Art to share his/her opinion of things around him.
[1] www.p-10.org
2 comments:
These are some interesting thoughts on Kai's works. But there appears to be some confusion on your understanding of the meaning of "translation" as used in Liu's chapter (or maybe I am misreading your entry). "Translation", in this case, does not so much refer to your interpretation of Kai's works, but to Kai's use of an art medium (e.g. performance) that he possibly learned from Euro-American artists. The question you should try to address is: why does Kai find this medium (or a mix of mediums) so attractive? how does he understand this medium?
I feel that i would need to learn more about Kai's influences/education background. I have yet to interview him regarding this (which i am going to do soon). Hopefully, from the interview i would be able to gain insight on who/what was his artistic influences. There was a particular work (interactive installation and performance)that he did with Lee Wen, " Give Peace A Chance,Redux" which reminded me of Yoko Ono and John Lennon's work.(Ono was a member of the Fluxus movement). This could also be one of his influences. From there ,would I then be able to address the reason on why Kai find the medium attractive/interesting.
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