Dialogue 对话 Paul Cocksedge

“Eventually it is the people who complete it. They'll change it, modify it.

是城市中生活的人们最终成就了它的样貌，人也不断地在改变着它。”

Designer：设计师

Paul Cocksedge is a designer who transforms public spaces by creating innovative, inclusive, beautiful installations. He is responsible for the Kiss Shanghai project, an art piece that was installed at Shanghai XINTIANDI in 2013 that invited the public to lock lips on a stage in order to light up an enormous Christmas tree.

Paul Cocksedge是一位设计师，他善于用富有创新、包容性兼具视觉美感的艺术装置改造公共空间。他曾在2013与上海新天地合作，带来“吻之树”艺术项目，通过邀请公众登台亲吻彼此以点亮一棵巨型圣诞树艺术装置。

Your work is about adapting public spaces and bringing overlooked corners of the world to life. What change would you like to see in the future of public spaces and the attitude towards them?

I like the balance between controlled ideas, creativity, architecture and letting the public change and adapt it. I like the features in a city that haven't been overly considered or designed from an architectural perspective: a little bit of green space in between the council estate, or the wall outside my studio that I perch on and catch the sun – the uncontrolled urban spaces. Of course the design of cities needs consideration, but I think we have to understand that eventually it is the people who complete it. They'll change it, modify it.

One of your most well-known creations is the series of KISS projects. Can you tell us about them?

The KISS project actually began in Milan about 10 years ago. We covered the Duomo of the Galleria Vittorio Ema-nuele II in lights and created a system whereby if people stood beneath it and kissed, the huge dome would light up. The project was a celebration of the fact that humans conduct electricity, and it came from my general interest in making connections. It was a really lovely moment to see this interactive piece with people getting involved, with no instruction book necessary. Especially the Italian people – they love kissing in public. It was joyful. We presented the same concept at Shanghai XINTIANDI, and created the KISS Shanghai.

What was the reaction?

It was amazing. Every type of person was kissing beneath it: teenagers, gay couples, old friends kissing cheeks and hugging each other.

What was your initial involvement in XINTIANDI and what do you like about creating work in China?

I've been exploring working in China over the years, and very graduallywe've begun to do some of our manufacturing over there, visiting Shenzhen, creating a sculpture for Beijing Design Week, networking with different types of people. There's an amazing hunger for ideas and creativity. It has a different rhythm to Europe in a sense – it's moving rapidly in so many different ways. The one thing for sure is there's so many different types of people in China who are excited about ideas, creativity and however that manifests, whether that's architecture, sculpture, shopping centres or music and fashion. It's so interesting for me to wander around and bump into people who have that excitement in their eyes.

“There are so many different types of people in China who are excited about ideas and creativity.

中国各行各业的人都在不断寻求创新。”

你的作品主要涉及的是公共空间的改造与更新，让那些平日被忽视的角落再现生机。你觉得未来的公共空间能发生怎样的改变？

创作时，设计师常常需要去把控作品背后的构思、创意、结构等很多方面，当作品呈现在公共空间时，公众会对它产生潜移默化的改变和影响，我会在这两者之间寻求一种平衡感。我喜欢城市中那些还没有被过分设计或者考量的小场景：比如国会大厦间的一隅绿化空间、工作室外我常倚靠着晒太阳的那面墙—那些还保留着一些原始气息的城市角落。当然城市的规划需要被设计，但我们必须明白，是城市中生活的人们最终成就了它的样貌，人也不断地在改变着它。

你最为知名的一组作品是KISS装置，能和我们聊聊吗？

KISS系列项目大约10年前就在米兰启动了。我们将Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II（埃马努埃莱二世长廊）的穹顶用灯光点缀覆盖，装置的启动机制是当人们驻足其下并亲吻彼此，整个宏伟壮丽的穹顶就会被瞬间点亮。这个艺术项目是对人类使用电力的一种纪念和呼应，也是出于我自身对于人与人连结的理解和兴趣。这个作品的互动没有什么操作范本或者程式需要去遵守，人们自然流露的真情就已经足够动人，特别是意大利人，他们喜欢在公共场合热情亲吻，整个过程都充满着幸福欢乐。2013年到2015年我们和上海新天地共同呈现了“吻之树”。

整体反响如何？

反响很热烈，形形色色的人都会来到吻之树下亲吻彼此：少年、同性伴侣、老友们都会相互亲吻脸颊并彼此相拥。

你与新天地是怎么结缘的？在中国创作作品有什么感想吗？

很久以前我就开始在中国寻找一些机会了，之后渐渐开始在中国制作生产一些作品，造访深圳、为北京设计周创作雕塑，和不同的当地人建立合作联系等等。在中国，大家对于创意和创新的渴求让人讶异。从某种程度上说，中国和欧洲的节奏非常不一样—中国的发展和变化速度令人惊叹。可以肯定的是中国各行各业的人都在不断寻求创新，不论这种创新是应用在建筑、雕塑、商业综合体，或者音乐、时尚等不同领域。对我来说特别有趣的一件事就是在路上闲逛，总会遇见那些眼里闪烁着想法和充满干劲儿的人。