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Curatorial statement 展覽介紹

Humans tend to think that they are the ruler of the Earth. Locating themselves at the top of the hierarchy, thinking that they could have ultimate control over all species on the planet, and use the land however they want. By the never-ending acts of exploitation and destruction, humans have dominated most parts of the land; some of the species are being endangered even facing extinction and the rest are forced to live in a cubic space. All these are caused by the magnified “human centric” mentality, humans believe they are the centre of the world, but is it true? 

In this exhibition, we question the “human centric” theory, and invite the audiences to think out of the psychological box by bringing them back to the starting point: as one of the species on Earth, humans should be in equal stands as other beings whom they share the same environment and resources with. Viewers will begin this visual journey as “The Lords of Creation”, and end as humans, one of the animal species. Maybe you could discover a whole new world simply by changing the perspective of seeing our planet. 

人類總是以萬物的統治者自居，高高在上的站在物種階級體系的頂端，自以為可以肆意 控制其他物種並任意地使用土地資源。透過無止境的剝削與破壞行為，人類佔據了大量 自然土地，扼殺了其他物種的生存空間，久而久之陷入了物種瀕危，甚至絕種的境地。 種種情況皆歸咎於被不斷放大的人類至上心態，然而人類真的是處於萬物之中心嗎？ 

是次展覽質疑「人類本位」的想法，邀請觀眾跳出心理上既有的思維盒子，回到最原始的 一點：眾生平等。作為地球上其中一種物種，人類該與其他物種共享相同的環境和資源。 觀者將以人類作為「萬物之靈」的身份開啟這段視覺旅程，而在旅程結束之時，他們將回到人類作為動物一員的狀態。或許只要我們轉一個視覺來看看這個星球，就會發現一個全新的世界。

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I

Human-centric 人類中心

Humans call themselves “The Lords of Creation”, taking away the living spaces of other species so as to expand our territories. We try to manipulate the life of other animals, both physically and psychologically. However, are humans really the centre of mother nature?

人類總是以統治者自居，在自封為萬物之靈的同時一直在吞併其他物種的生存空間，以擴大自己的版圖。我們肆意主宰其他物種的生死，把人類的思想強加在其他動物身上。 可是，人類真的是整個生態系統的中心嗎？

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In these two black and white photographs taken in the same place in 2008 and 2011, a huge contrast is displayed to show as an evident of how the wild home of elephants is decimated by human interference. A line of elephants is replaced by a line of rangers who proudly exhibit their “accomplishment” — tusks of the killed elephants for ivory trade, though it is already prohibited in many countries, alongside the destruction of the natural environment. Because of one’s selfishness, human’s overexploitation of natural resources has resulted in cruelty act to animals and environmental degradation. 

兩張在同一地點，不同年份拍攝的黑白照片展現出強烈的對比，揭示人類的干預如何破 壞了大象的野外家園。經過數年的時間，一行在草原上遊走的大象被一列遊騎兵取替， 在已被破壞的自然土地上狀似自豪地展示出他們的戰利品— 象牙。然而許多國家都已經禁止了象牙貿易這種行為。因人類的自私心態而引致的過度開發行為不但破壞了自然環境，更殘待了動物。

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One of the human interferences in animal life is the exploitation of animals’ physical freedom by locking them up in cages and boxes. Humans routinely deny freedom to non-human animals with whom we share our planet. They see themselves as better than other species not only by enclosing but enforcing our thinking on animals. 

將動物困起來是人類對動物生命的干擾之一。人類傾向否認非人類動物與我們共享地球的權利，把他們困起來，剝奪了他們的肉身自由。我們總以為自己比其他物種優勝， 除了把動物肉身囚禁，更把自我想法強加於牠們身上。

How do we see animals – a living creature with flesh and blood or a source of entertainment? The human-portrait-like composition and the surreal imagination of animals dressing up in human style direct us to think about the human gaze and the imposition of human influences on the wildlife. 

我們是如何看待動物的？是有血有肉的生物，還是我們娛樂的來源？如肖像般的構圖 和動物們超現實的人類裝扮讓我們反思人類對野生生命的凝視和操控。

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Humans have long been considering themselves as the Giant among species. They expand, they conquer, they rule. Their tallness and arrogant attitude seem to have blind their eyes to see the essential balance between themselves and nature. 

長久以來，人類一直視自己為所有物種中的巨人。我們在地球擴張、征服、統治。傲慢且 高高在上的態度似乎蒙蔽了他們雙眼，令我們無視自己與大自然之間應有的本質平衡。

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II

CO-Existence 共存

The word “CO-Existence” means “living or existing together at the same time or in the same place”, but when we look at the word “Co”, it means “two/together”. Human beings are not born to be the enemy of animals, so as animals, who are never born to be the prey of human beings. Especially when the word “CO” is being put in front of “existence”, the togetherness between species are far more important than the existence of one species. 

「共存」一詞可以理解為「同時間或同地方存在/生活在一起」，但當我們單獨去看「共」這一詞的 時候，它可以解作「一起，一齊」。人類從來不是動物的敵人，反之亦然，動物也從來不是生來就成為人類的獵物。當「共」置於「存」之先，物種和物種一起遠比一個物種獨活更為重要。

Moving away from the human centric mentality, humans step out of their psychological box and find themselves in a bigger universe – the natural world. Human as an integral part of nature is a recurring theme in Susan Cohen Thompson’s art. She has envisioned a utopia where humans are fully connected and even integrated with nature. For Thompson, to live sustainably, we need to respect the rights of nature as one self: 

“My paintings are symbolic interpretations of humans as part of nature. We do not exist on the earth without the earth. Our health and the health of our environment are one thing.” 

走出人類本位的思想框框，人類發現他們只是大自然中渺小的存在。 Susan Cohen Thompson的作品主要以人類是大自然的一部分作為主題，她幻想着一 個人類跟自然連結且成為一體的烏托邦。對Thompson來說，要過一個可持續的生活， 我們必須尊重大自然的權利: 

「我的作品大部分也是象徵人類是大自然的一部分，我們並不能脫離地球獨自存在。我們和環境的健康是息息相關的。」

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Can men and animals coexist in the wild? In Karlotta Freier’s imagination, animals in the zoo step out of their steel-barred gate and move to the wild together with humans. While releasing the animals from their prison zoo, humans have also freed themselves from the long-established human-centric thought by following the animals into the wild, a world where elephants are neighbours to human beings. 

人類和動物可以共同存活於野外嗎？Karlotta Freier 想像動物踏出鐵欄杆並跟人類一 起居住在野外，當動物從動物園裹被釋放，人類成為動物的跟隨者，同時亦把自己從根深蒂固的思想中解放。

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Following the flute man’s music, the animals find shelters everywhere, wandering in this vast and beautiful world without constraints and hierarchy. Ting Sze Lok’s art practice focuses on piercing together the quotidian scenes in life that are so often taken for granted to create a microcosm of its own. The flute man and the animals who share equal status, marching on the same road, reaching a consensus of coexistence. 吹笛子的人帶着一群動物，蹓躂到每個地方四處漂泊。丁詩樂的作品專注於常見而不起 眼的零碎日常，拼湊一小塊的空間。享受着同等地位的吹笛人與動物，走在同一路上， 達成了共同生存的共識。

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“Co-exist” is not simply that all of us exist in the same space. We might not be able to share the same happiness other animals do, but definitely could share with them a land of freedom. Paul Morstad’s dreamy watercolor works illustrated his vision of co-existing: all creatures have equal rights to live freely and happily on this planet. 

「共生」，不只是共同生存在同一空間。我們不一定能體會動物的快樂，但只少可以歸還 他們一片能自由地呼吸和奔跑的土地。Paul Morstad以充滿夢幻色彩的水彩作品展現了 他對共生的展望：終有一天，所有生物都能平等地在地球上享受快樂而自由的生活。

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Maps are invented to establish the boundaries constructed by humans, and there’s never a space for other animals. It’s time for us to put the map on one side —— the artist drew on a map of Messina Harbor and illustrated how all living things are free to swim in the boundless ocean. 

打開地圖，放眼望去全是由人類規劃的界線，而且從來沒有動物的位置。藝術家在通往 公海的墨西拿碼頭地圖上繪畫了公海中的流浪者 —— 且讓我們遺忘那些邊界，在沒有 國界之分的汪洋大海中自由地前行。

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Would humans treat nature better, if rock strata construct our body and lava run in our veins? Regardless of nationality and skin color, all humans are from the earth. Ultimately, we will all become ashes and return to the earth. Our birth and death form an enclosed ecological cycle, and maybe we are just part of the land in Mother Earth’s perspective. 

想像一下，假如岩層組成了我們的身體、岩漿流淌在我們的血管中 — 我們會對自然 好一點嗎？無論是甚麼民族的人類，我們都來自大地，在百年之後也將魂歸大地，化為 養分成就下一個生態循環。從地球的觀點來看，或許我們都只是大地的一部分。

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Please take 10 seconds to stare at the dot and close your eyes, a new world view will be projected in your eyes. The “Earth Perspectives” series is released on Earth Day 2020 and seeks to provoke the viewers into recalibrating the perspective of how we see the world. Our planet has a limited lifetime, and it’s time for us to repair our relationship with Mother Earth. 

請盯着影像的中央點，維持十秒。然後閉上眼，一個全新的地球將會浮現眼前。「地球觀 點」系列發佈於2020年的地球日，是對我們習以為常的風景的一記當頭棒喝： 人類一直以來理所當然地享用着地球上的一切資源，或許我們都遺忘了它的生命也有限期。趁着還來得及，且讓我們以全新的角度出發，好好修補人類和這個孕育了一切生命的星球的關係。

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Curatorial Team 策展團隊 

Yeung Sze Ching Alison 楊思晴
Chan Yee Wing Esther陳綺穎
Wong Kei Ching Felicity 黃紀靖
Wong Hiu Ching Florence 黃曉晴
Lau Lok Tung Woodi 劉樂彤

Advisor 策展顧問

Prof. Ho Hing Kay Oscar 何慶基教授

Artists 參展藝術家

Adam Cvijanovic
Freier Karlotta
Jacek Palucha
Jon Ching
Kacey Wong
Karlotta Freier
Liu Di
Mindaugas Lukosaitis
Nick Brandt
Paul Morstad
Olafur Eliasson
Rebecca Norris Webb
Susan Cohen Thompson
Ting Sze Lok