珊瑚礁的守护者 | 印度尼西亚陶瓷雕塑装置

正如城市一样，珊瑚礁的世界也处在剧烈的变化之中：各种各样的物种在这里寻觅食物、住所和伴侣，疲倦的“游客们”也得以在珊瑚构建的绿洲中找到喘息之地。从小小的枪虾到体型硕大的鲸鲨，珊瑚礁为每一种生命提供了赖以生存和发展的避难所。就像在城市中的我们一样，珊瑚礁中的每个个体都影响着生态系统的运作。

Like cities, coral reefs pulse in a frenzy of activity. Residents of these diverse habitats find food, shelter and mates within their structures. Weary travelers find respite in their outcroppings—oases from the open sea. From the tiniest snapping shrimp to the largest whale shark, coral reefs are sanctuaries for life’s exuberance. In reefs as in cities, each individual plays a role that can affect how the ecosystem functions. The key to success is finding harmony in heterogeneity—unity in diversity.

▼“Confluence”是一件精致的陶瓷雕塑装置，Confluence (Our Changing Seas V), an intricately hand-detailed ceramic sculptural installation

印度尼西亚位于珊瑚礁大三角区（Coral Triangle）的核心地带，这里栖息着比全球任何地方都多的物种，仅鱼类就接近4000种。不仅如此，这一特殊的区域还为其周围6个国家的近4亿人口提供着食物、经济来源、安全保护和生活的喜悦。印度尼西亚的1万7千多座岛屿是这一丰富生态系统的基石，它与当地人口及珊瑚礁的健康状况有着直接的联系。

Indonesia lies at the heart of the Coral Triangle—the ‘Amazon of the sea.’ With more invertebrate species than anywhere else on the planet and nearly 4,000 species of fish, this exceptional region provides food, livelihoods, coastal protection and joy to nearly 400 million people across six countries. Indonesia’s archipelago of over 17,000 islands is a keystone for this rich ecosystem, with the health of its human population directly linked to that of the reef.

▼雕塑细部，detailed views

今天，珊瑚礁正面临着前所未有的、来自人类的威胁。在该项目中，艺术家Courtney Mattison希望借助“Confluence (Our Changing Seas V)”这件作品来致敬印度尼西亚的珊瑚礁以及它们为印尼乃至全世界人类做出的贡献，同时要让人们意识到气候变化和珊瑚礁白化等问题的严峻性。这件精致而复杂的陶瓷雕塑旨在激发观者对于珊瑚礁的联想，使人们切实地感受到自身与珊瑚礁之间的联系，从而促使居民与决策者以实际行动来保护生态环境。

Yet today, reefs face unprecedented threats from human impacts. Confluence (Our Changing Seas V) pays homage to Indonesia’s coral reefs and the value they provide to Indonesians and the world while highlighting the threat of climate change and coral bleaching. I hope that the idea of creating such a monumental, intricately hand-detailed ceramic sculptural installation inspires a sense of excitement in viewers about the connections we share to coral reefs while empowering individuals and policymakers to act to conserve.

▼艺术家希望借助雕塑来致敬印度尼西亚的珊瑚礁和它们的贡献，Confluence (Our Changing Seas V) pays homage to Indonesia’s coral reefs and the value they provide to Indonesians and the world

艺术家之所以选择陶瓷作为材料，是因为黏土和釉料的基本成分——碳酸钙——同时也是构成珊瑚礁骨骼的基本元素。

It feels essential that the medium of this work be ceramic, as calcium carbonate is both a common ingredient in clay and glaze materials and the substance precipitated by reef-building corals to form their stony skeletons.

▼制作过程，production

▼安装过程，installation phase