"Not Malaysia, Not Nauru": Refugee Rights Rally, Brisbane 布里斯班难民人权集会

We need to welcome refugees. No to Malaysia. No to Nauru. No to offshore processing!

In late August 2001, John Howard and the Australian government refused 438 refugees, who had been rescued by freighter ship Tampa, access to Australia. Instead the asylum seekers were sent to Nauru, a tiny island, where they languished for months and years afterwards. Howard used this incident to whip up racism and to further strip refugees of their rights.

Today we see Labor and the Liberals competing to deny the rights of refugees, and attempt to dump them in other countries. Labor wanted Malaysia, the Liberals Nauru. Now that the so-called “panel of experts” has recommended re-opening the hell-holes of Nauru and Manus Island, this has become the immediate prospect for hundreds, maybe thousands, of unfortunate traumatized and vulnerable human beings.

by Refugee Action Collective Queensland

Rally for Refugee Rights, George Street. 2012. Nikon D5000.

大马和澳洲不久前签署的难民合约说明“Those (refugees) sent to Malaysia will be given rights to work, health care and education”，但我觉得大家都深感怀疑，这个承诺是否会实现。如今听说此合约谈不成，但是澳洲人民还是努力反对把收留难民的责任推卸给别的国家。

Speech, Brisbane Square. 2012.

Audience, Brisbane Square. 2012.

虽然这场集会不是很关马来西亚的事，我还是去目睹当地人的反对方式。声势和大马选举前夕的集会没什么差别，但是主讲人的背景比较多样化（不像大马一党讲完）——有来自反对党的，宗教团体的，还有前难民。

Witness, Brisbane Square. 2012.

我要强调手机在现今时事的角色：很多第一手“新闻”都是目击者本身的录影，上传到 social media 宣传给大家看。我相信这位女士的录影很快便成为 Facebook 上 share 来 share 去、like 来 like 去的片段。我相信大马人民已经深深地体会到网络的便利，也许相信网络的人已经比相信报章的人多了。

March to the detention centre, Adelaide Street. 2012.

看见警察护航，不禁让大马人民低头叹气。之前在马来西亚的静坐示威，一开始也不见得比澳洲人乱，都是和气地游行。为什么当家领袖就是要捣乱？

一行人步向难民拘留所，一面喊着口号。路边没有参与的市民很平静地观看，这就是布里斯班的其中一个星期日。

民族之梦

我认为椰树象征高等的生活水平——至少在美国是。从 Robert Frank 在 The Americans (1958) 里刊登的照片 Covered car - Long Beach, California, 1956 ，我们看见不知名的中上阶级人士买了一辆爱车，泊在摩登设计的方形屋子前，还有两颗显眼的椰树衬托。二战后的金融复苏，让一些幸运的美国市民得以逃往加州海岸，享受阳光和美景。

但是半个世纪后，我们儿时所谓的自由国度——美国——已经今非昔比。经过冷战、内乱和恐怖袭击，她的星旗已不再自豪地飘扬。

Royal palm and empty flag pole. 2012. Pentax K1000. Kodak 400TX.

昔日的苏联也一样，被逼从两败俱伤的太空和武器斗争中，和美国一起低头下来专注于国内民事。长时间地仰望梦想，会让人忽略身边发生着的问题。

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and half moon. 2012.

这些先进国人民的梦，和马来西亚这个发展中国家有什么关系？

马来西亚缺乏梦。不是 2020 这种梦，而是人人平等这种梦。美国建国以来便灌输着 land of opportunity and freedom 这个概念，但是我国老早就被固打制拖慢脚步。如今人民已经觉醒，领袖就应该建立梦想。梦想固然迟早会被现实打破，但好过现在没有团结。有共同的目标，人民才会合作。一个大马的口号打得响，却被种种丑闻污染。

今天的负面消息太多，人民需要的是正面的业绩。 更重要的是，人民要开口要求。大选将近，做好准备。

胶片上的水迹

自己的经济冲洗，没买 wetting agent，难免在一些照片上留下顽固水迹（听起来很像洗衣粉的广告台词）。然后就是灰尘，扫描和印刷的天敌。

虽然成功冲洗了胶卷，但是黑白之中还是缺少了“阳光”。不管我怎样努力地贴近写实，黑白还是让观者觉得灰暗，怀念过去或者低沉。不喜欢被人看待成情绪化或消极，更不要用给我冠上 emo 这种俗气的形容词。我相信丰富的内容（如朋友的大笑、老人的遥望、女孩和蝴蝶、婴孩和浴缸……）可以赋予黑白照一种生气，但是这些人事物对于一个游子来说是非常稀罕的。

身处本土的人，要珍惜自己身边的美景。

West End (and water stain in the sky). 2012. Pentax K1000. Kodak 400TX.

自己冲洗的胶卷

直到现在，才真正地自己冲洗底片（也是第一次用胶卷中的经典 Kodak 400TX）。从曝光到成像到扫描，都是自己经手的，不懂什么时候才能自己印照片（不是用印表机）。经历了整个摄影过程，摄影变得更像手艺，而并非单纯的“拍照”。

冲洗底片也让人感到摄影仍然是个很大的学问，好多东西要学要练。拍数码的日子，根本不用担心怎样消除底片上的水迹——但是这种担心让人更贴近作品，更了解每一张照片，更深地检讨。

Contact sheet from scanner. 2012. Pentax K1000. Self-developed Kodak 400TX.

Rough ideas on scannogram | 扫描器小记

Expressive yet letting thing as it is. It bears the reminiscence of the long forgotten photograms and crude cyanotypes. I still think scanner is a photographic tool worth exploring. Your photographic tool is only limited by your imagination.

With such shallow depth of field and dark background, life is portrayed as a delicate fabric floating in the abyss of time.

Doodia aspera. 2012. Canon CanoScan LiDE 700F.

Ibis feather pressed under a book. 2012.

Yes, more work will come through.

Ekka #2: Our ambiguous relationship with animals | 我们与动物的暧昧关系

Our love with nature is an ambiguous one. And Ekka is a place to witness such an interesting relationship.

Animal on show #1, Ekka Showground. 2012. Samsung NX5.

The grand parade at the main ring remains as the all-time favorite that "epitomises the Exhibition's commitment to excellence in animal husbandry" (Scott & Laurie 2008). Practiced for thousands of years, animal husbandry signifies humans' mutualism with domesticated animals. We provide food and shelter and guarantee a certain lifespan for the animals, and they "pay back" with meat, material, labour, and even companionship.

Animal on show #2, Ekka Showground. 2012.

Our affinity to cute, fluffy farm animals was quickly shown at first sight. The UHs and AHs were accompanied by the virtual shutter clicks of cameraphones. Who could resist a harmless sheep that has been domesticated since ten thousand years ago? They don't bite. What I'm trying to say is that, through domestication, humans had succeeded in securing a safe environment to stabilise food production, grow settlement, and start to understand nature without worrying of danger. Our love with nature could only begin when the fear of nature was overcome.

Animal on show #3, Ekka Showground. 2012.

The exhibition worker behind the llama kept reminding that the animal does spit (on our faces) but it only does it rarely. Anyhow, some brave Ekka goers still took photographs with the animal while hoping that it wouldn't be their unlucky day.

Animal on show #4, Ekka Showground. 2012.

Then I came across this hand-washing station where people washed their hands after touching the animals. There we are, uncomfortable with the slightest dirt because modern science told us that anything wild could bring disease. In his Captive Landscapes (2011) project statement, Daniel Kukla mentioned "[w]e, as humans, go to great lengths to satisfy our desire for a connection with the natural world, especially in our interactions with wild and exotic animals." However, we are still subconsciously aware of the fact that we are fragile and highly susceptible to germs and disease vectors.

Animal on show #5, Ekka Showground. 2012.

So what really describes our relationship with animals, or more broadly, nature? The definition is becoming more ambiguous and confusing as "we go about re-contextualizing the 'natural world,' and thus, redefining the way we perceive it (Ford 2010)." Like drawings, we picture (and hope that) the relationship as a friendly one.

Animal on show #6, Ekka Showground. 2012.

Are we really living side-to-side with animals? Or can we? I say we can, but not totally as the human comfort zone prevents us from being truly nature.

Animal on show #7, Ekka Showground. 2012.

We will continue the endless journey to search for a meaning, but I shall end this essay with a question. If love is to pursuit the happiness of both sides, can we claim our love to nature when we are actually unhappy about the current situation of the environment?

Animal on show #8, Ekka Showground. 2012.

Special thanks to:
Jeremy, who had kindly lent me his camera.
Kyle Ford and Daniel Kukla, whose photography projects have inspired me to think about human-animal interactions.

Ekka #1: Family

When I tried to search for the word "Family" in the index of Showtime: a history of the Brisbane Exhibition (2008) by J. Scott and R. Laurie, I couldn't. Neither is there a dedicated chapter about family business at the Ekka, an annual agricultural show of Queensland, Australia. And because I'm lazy to read through all 277 pages of the book, I decided to add a humble chapter of mine to the festival. A chapter about family.

Family #1, EKKA Showgrounds. 2012. Samsung NX5.

As a foreign student in the land of Oz, I have the opportunity to study the different views about festival between countries. Sadly, traditional festivals are quickly forgotten as children in Malaysia grow up. iPhones, shopping malls, and night clubs soon became the way Malaysian teenagers celebrate their youth. In contrast, kids over here, mostly without their parents around, lingered around the Ekka as elders made their annual visit. How I miss the funfair at Malaysia back in the 90s.

Family #2, EKKA Showgrounds. 2012.

Don't forget to mention tourists who joined the crowd, and I was one of them who paid the same $20 entry fee. But I was here not to eat or ride a merry-go-around, but to document the faces of Brisbane.

Family #3, EKKA Showgrounds. 2012.

Sunny day as it is usual, the iconic weather of Queensland. That might explain why people here don't wear heavy makeup, because the sun provides eye shadow for free.

Family #4, EKKA Showgrounds. 2012.

I believe a family's bond can be strengthened simply by hanging out with each other more often, especially in the present day where parents could easily overwork and forget to read their children to sleep.

Family #5, EKKA Showgrounds. 2012.

We are increasingly relying on school teachers to educate our children, while parenting, another important form of education, is being ignored despite its powerful one-on-one impact. The Ekka showgrounds provide a good opportunity for parents to guide their children around animals, to teach them about the mutualistic relationship between farm animals and humans, and to make them understand one of the drivers of economy, agriculture. We take materials for granted nowadays, children need to understand how fragile the production line could be and start appreciating it.

Family #6, EKKA Showgrounds. 2012.

Parents are always the guidance, they lead the way.

Family #7, EKKA Showgrounds. 2012.

And they comfort.

Family #8, EKKA Showgrounds. 2012.

Special thanks to camera owner Jeremy.

快门光圈：人生的选择

和钢琴调音师一样，摄影的人也在找着最恰当的组合（快门和光圈），来把重要的一刻留下。我们都在寻找平衡点。一架谦卑的旧底片相机，可以让一个学生重新学习。回到原点，叫人探索“静”的精神，不要像谚语 an empty can makes the most noise 那样，虚有其表。

K1000 #1. 2012. Nikon D5000.

但是，记得回到原始并非为了怀旧，因为怀旧让人无法前进，永远沉溺在过去中。回到原始也并非为了跟随复古的潮流，因为“我”的定义在于个人风格，而不是大众口味。

K1000 #2. 2012.

无论如何，以上论点大家都会有自己的一番看法。而正因为如此，人生才需要选择，选择如何客观或主观、如何做好自己。

制水·工人的赞赏

拍下水喉时，就已经知道某日一定会用着这张照片。前天制水，再次被提醒，水是非常重要的。科技进步的当儿，人类却越来越脆弱，只要断水断电，我们就会非常不安。也许澳洲人回想起几年前的旱灾，但是我想起的是小时候制水时，市民排队向市政府的“水车”取水的情节（还是小学作文的热门题材）。

Droplet. 2012. Pentax K1000. Kodak BW40CN.

水翌日就回来了，多亏半夜劳苦的工人，他们拿着手电筒在街边寻找漏水的根源。我心想，如果我有多余的钱消费，那我一定会买几瓶啤酒去慰劳他们。这让我想起全球的工人，没有了他们，我们再高阶，生活也只是一团糟。他们的知识和体力，是非常可贵的，可惜没多少人去赞赏。

Workers, Roma Street. 2012.

用一分钟感受一下这些幕后人士的贡献，他们是所谓的 unsung heroes 。


后记：后来仔细看，才发现左边的工人的右脚是义肢。

盼春

新学期开始了，看着迷茫的新学生和自豪的毕业生擦肩而过。春天快到了，收拾心情，继续努力过生活。

Market Day, UQ, Brisbane. 2012. Nikon D5000.

p/s：感谢相机主人烂屎（Lance）。

昆士兰东南旅：归途

该为这趟旅途做个结尾了。

很多人问，为什么你拍胶卷？更多人问，为什么你拍黑白？黑白的旅途，不写实（因为不是眼睛看见的）也不活泼愉快。我都是简单地回答：我在学习摄影。很多旅行的人只是看风景、吃美食，但这趟是我重新学习摄影之旅。

Way back, Bruce-Pacific Highway (series). 2012. Pentax K1000. Kodak BW400CN.

拍黑白，不是因为怀旧，不是因为要模仿大师；而是因为黑白历史以来都是学习基础的器材，从它身上我能更专注于“光”与“暗”这两个元素，掌握了光的行为才进军彩色。黑白不能用肉眼看见，但能用心看见。用心地观察，才能解答“光在哪里？”和“光和影子怎样塑造形体？”这些问题。再说，拍黑白比较经济。

归途上，觉得一路上的景色并列地展示会很有趣。于是让朋友驾驶，对着车窗外一口气拍完了一卷。







照片集还没伟大到能被称为 This is Australian Highway ，因为我相信我只探索了这片土地的 1%。也许未来能完成这种 project 吧，也许是马来西亚的南北大道，希望如此。

I saw Batman on the way back. 2012.

我觉得黑白摄影谁都能拍，而且（重点是）谁都能“读”。黑白摄影不是大师或艺术家的专利，它可以很朴实，只是学生的铅笔。我们能接受绘画没有彩色，能接受小说没有插图，为什么摄影不能？和没有彩色的素描及小说一样，黑白照开发了一条叫“想象”的道路。

是的，我确实觉得黑白不能传达我一贯喜欢的写实，所以来日不会放弃彩色。

刚读完 Sunil Gupta 和 Radhika Singh 编辑的 《Click! : contemporary photography in India》 (2008)，深同感受马来西亚人民对摄影和艺术的认知还不深。我本身深深感受到教育的缺乏，让我对这门学问一知半解。我说，让我们一起学习吧，因为艺术是陶治人民修养的道具。（我好像讲到太远了……）