London’s Trafalgar Square got an unusual new artwork to go alongside its historic sculptures of war heroes and kings — an empty plinth where members of the public stand for an hour at a time.
The project is the brainchild of artist Antony Gormley and will see 2,400 people stand on the empty plinth for an hour at a time, 24 hours a day, between now and Oct. 14.
Gormley says it aims to paint a picture of modern Britain — and provide a contrast with the monuments to historic figures like Admiral Nelson and King George IV which surround it.
“It’s not about the past, it’s not about the dead, it’s not about war, it’s about now and about later,” Gormley told reporters.
“I hope that we’re going to learn ... the things we find funny, the things we find scary, the things we fear and the things we love and that’s the idea.
“It’s a composite portrait of the UK now in all its wonderful, multicultural difference.”
Those taking part had varied plans for their hour in the limelight.
Art graduate Suren Seneviratne, 22, was dressed as a panda and carrying a sign featuring his mobile phone number so passers-by could call him, while housewife Rachel Wardell, 35, filled balloons from a helium cylinder.
Nurse Jason Clark, 41, from Brighton, southern England, was one of the first to take part.
“Normally the plinths are reserved for generals, kings, people who have done heroic deeds — this is a chance for ordinary people to get up there,” he said.
“I’m going to get up there and not actually do anything ... I’m going to take in the ambiance of the square and take some photos — and if the worst comes to the worst, I’ll sit down and read a book.”
Afterwards, he described the feeling of being on the seven-meter high plinth as “invigorating.”
The launch of the work was briefly disrupted by a protestor who climbed on to the plinth carrying a banner saying, “Save the children. Ban tobacco and actors smoking.” Gormley jokingly hailed the protestor as “a warm-up act.”
The installation is taking place on the fourth plinth at Trafalgar Square, which was empty for some years but has recently hosted a succession of modern art works by the likes of Marc Quinn and Thomas Schutte.(AFP)
倫敦特拉法加廣場上的戰爭英雄和君王雕像旁，出現了一座奇特的新藝品──民眾以每人一小時的方式站上一座空的基柱。
這場展覽是由藝術家安東尼．歌姆利策劃，即日起至十月十四日止，將可見兩千四百位民眾以每人一小時的連續接力方式，站上這座空的基柱展演。
歌姆利說，這場展演旨在描繪出當代英國風貌，並突顯這些小人物和週邊如艾德麥羅．尼爾森、國王喬治四世等歷史人物的差異。
歌姆利對記者說：「這非關過去、非關已故者、非關戰爭，這反映的正是當下和未來。」
「我希望我們能記住…那些我們覺得有趣、恐怖、畏懼和所愛的事，這就是我的概念。」
「那是當今英國精采多元文化差異的綜合寫照。」
那些參與民眾對站上舞台一小時的計畫各不相同。
二十二歲的藝術學士蘇倫．塞尼維拉特尼打扮成貓熊，手裡拿著寫有自己手機號碼的牌子，讓路過民眾可以打電話給他；而三十五歲的家庭主婦瑞秋．瓦德爾帶了氦氣鋼瓶在現場灌氣球。
來自英國南方布萊頓的四十一歲護理人員傑森．克拉克是首批表演者之一。
他說：「通常這些基柱是專屬於將軍、國王，或有過英雄事蹟的人，這個活動讓普通人有機會踏上去體驗看看。」
「我要站上去，不是真的要做什麼…就是享受一下廣場的氣氛，拍點照片，而最壞的情況就是坐下來看書。」
事後，他形容站在這座七公尺高的基柱上令人「振奮」。
活動開始一度中斷，因為有抗議民眾帶著一張寫著「救救孩子。禁止香菸和演出中有抽菸行為」的海報爬上基柱。歌姆利打趣地稱這名抗議民眾的行為是「暖場演出」。
該藝術裝置就在廣場的第四基柱上展出，這座基柱數年來一直空著，但最近已接連做為馬克．昆恩和湯馬士．舒特等人的當代藝術作品展場。（法新社╱翻譯：袁星塵）
Picture a 45-foot-long animal with a 5-foot-long skull and 3-foot-long arms. It may not seem strange until you realize that a human with those proportions would be 6 feet tall with 5-inch arms. Although the Tyrannosaurus rex went extinct 65 million years ago, the mystery of its unusual body __1__ has fascinated scientists for over a century. Barnum Brown, the paleontologist who first discovered T. rex fossils, initially found it hard to believe that the tiny arms belonged to such a __2__ creature. One of his colleagues speculated that the short forelimbs might have been used to hold the
A: Actually, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is particularly good for small people like you. B: Really? How so? A: According to Diana Wang, a US doctor of physical therapy, the BJJ’s purpose is to help smaller, weaker people defend themselves by using various techniques, such as leverage. B: That sounds interesting. What time does Dr Wang’s BJJ seminar begin tonight? A: The event is scheduled for 7:30pm at PMA Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Taipei. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. A: 其實你的個子比較小，很適合練巴西柔術呢。 B: 真的嗎？為什麼？ A: 據美國理療醫師王幼瑞博士說，巴西柔術的概念是讓弱小的人，也能利用槓桿作用等技巧防身。 B: 真有趣，王醫師的巴柔研討會幾點開始？ A: 今晚7點半在「台北巴柔運動館」，免費入場自由樂捐唷！ （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張迪）
Photographer Franziska Stuenkel likes to take spontaneous urban shots, so she needs a nimble camera that is ready to go when inspiration strikes: her German-made Leica M11. “I have to be very quick and discreet,” said the Berlin-based artist who captures reflections of people walking past windows, their contours merging with the shapes behind the glass. Stuenkel’s compact Leica is the perfect camera for the job, the 51-year-old told AFP. Famous for its pocket-sized and retro-style devices, the Leica brand is celebrating a milestone as it marks 100 years since its first commercial camera was presented to the public. The
Dogs’ noses are incredibly keen. They can even detect changes in cortisol levels in human sweat and breath. Known as the “stress hormone,” cortisol increases when humans are under pressure. Recent research indicates that the smell of human stress can influence a dog’s behavior and emotions. In the study, human volunteers were exposed to the stressful tasks of preparing and delivering a speech on the spot and then solving math problems. __1__ Researchers collected sweat and breath samples from the volunteers on pieces of cloth during both their stressful and restful states. Meanwhile, other researchers worked with 18
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