丹尼爾．阿爾軒
採訪：蘇新婷 文字：蘇新婷
Photo：KOHLER
Interview：Chloe Su Text：Chloe Su
1980 年出生在美國俄亥俄州的克里夫蘭，並在佛羅里達州的邁阿密長大。Daniel Arsham 畢業於紐約著名的庫珀聯盟藝術學院，從此開始探索藝術與建築的跨界融合。其創作以融合雕塑、裝置與表演藝術聞名，尤其擅長以侵蝕、風化等手法，賦予當代物件「未來考古遺跡」的質感與意義。他於 2004 年共同創立了藝術與建築實驗空間 Snarkitecture，致力於推動多媒體與空間藝術的創新對話。2005 年，與現代舞大師 Merce Cunningham 合作，展開與表演藝術的跨界創作。2019 年，與法國時尚品牌 Dior 男裝藝術總監 Kim Jones 合作，作品進一步進入時尚領域。近年來，他亦與美國衛浴品牌 Kohler 合作，將藝術語言延伸至功能性設計，將雕塑作品帶入日常生活空間，實現藝術與生活的融合。
如果未來的考古學家挖掘出一台舊的 iphone 手機、PS5 機台，或者一組衛浴磁磚，他們會如何詮釋這些來自二十一世紀的「遺跡」？來自美國的藝術家 Daniel Arsham 擅長讓日常物件看似來自未來、風化之後被重新發現的文物，憑藉對時間錯位的探索，他的作品介於雕塑與考古之間，如同一位「時間的考古學家」。
What if future archaeologists were to unearth an old iphone, a PS5, or a set of bathroom tiles—how would they interpret these "artifacts" from the twenty-first century? Artist Daniel Arsham is known for transforming everyday objects into relics that appear weathered and rediscovered from the future. Through his exploration of temporal dislocation, his works exist somewhere between sculpture and archaeology, earning him the title of a "time archaeologist."
「其實，我不太會以『懷舊』為創作的切入點，反而是更關注某件設計物如何與一個時代產生連結。」Daniel Arsham 透過侵蝕、破損、晶化等手法，模擬時間作用在物件上的痕跡，讓觀者在認出熟悉輪廓的同時，產生時代感錯亂的感受。這樣的創作邏輯，在他選擇的材料上更為明顯，舉凡火山灰、水晶、礦物粉末等地質媒材，都成為他重要的創作語彙，不僅賦予作品實體重量，也帶來敘事深度。「當你看到一件作品，並認得那是水晶，或從標示上得知它含有火山灰，這些材料就成為敘事的一部分，補足了單靠視覺無法傳達的內容。」
"I don't really approach my work from a place of nostalgia," Arsham explains. "I'm more interested in how a designed object connects to a specific era." By employing techniques such as erosion, fragmentation, and crystallization, he simulates the effects of time on objects, creating a sense of temporal disorientation for viewers who recognize familiar forms yet perceive them as displaced in time. This creative logic is further reflected in his choice of materials. Geological elements like volcanic ash, crystal, and mineral powders are key to his vocabulary—not only giving physical weight to his pieces but also adding narrative depth. "When you see a work and recognize the crystal, or read that it contains volcanic ash, these materials become part of the story, conveying aspects that pure visuals alone cannot."
Daniel Arsham對材料的關注，近年更延伸到他與美國衛浴品牌 Kohler 的合作。2021 年，他首次為 Kohler 設計一組洗手台——以 3D 列印陶土為材，安置在鑄鐵岩塊上，彷彿一座從未來遺址中挖出的文明遺物。到了 2024 年推出的 Landshapes 系列中，他進一步嘗試 Lithocast 人造石材、垂墜狀玻璃燈具與近乎百分百回收磁磚，延續對材質轉譯與時間感的探索。
Arsham's focus on the "texture of time" has recently extended to his collaboration with American bathroom brand Kohler. In 2021, he designed his first washbasin for Kohler—a piece made from 3D-printed clay resting atop a cast-iron rock, evoking a civilization artifact unearthed from a futuristic ruin. By 2024, with the launch of the Landshapes collection, he expanded his material exploration to include Lithocast engineered stone, draped glass lighting, and nearly 100% recycled tiles, continuing his investigation into material translation and temporality.
「這些材料平常我不會用，但在 Kohler，我看到它們的潛力。」他曾多次親赴工廠，深入了解每種製程，並將自身藝術觀點植入設計流程中，從手感、紋理、反光到組件比例不斷調整，直到找到一種「能承載時間感」的平衡。他更特別提到，這些設計並不侷限於浴室使用。「磁磚、燈具、把手這些元素其實可以出現在任何空間，成為一種具有功能性的雕塑。」身為藝術家，他首要關心的不是作品在空間中的位置，而是它們如何被人們觸碰、使用和感受，進而與個人生活產生連結。
"These materials arent ones I typically use, but at Kohler, I saw their potential," he says. Arsham visited the factories multiple times, gaining deep insight into each production process and integrating his artistic perspective into the design workflow. From texture and reflectivity to component proportions, he continually refined the balance until achieving a sense that could "carry the feeling of time." He also emphasized that these designs are not confined to bathroom use. "Tiles, lighting, and handles can appear in any space, becoming functional sculptures." For Arsham, it's not about the physical placement of the pieces but about how people "touch, use, and perceive" them, forging connections with everyday life.
熟悉其作品的人們都知道，Daniel Arsham 的雕塑世界多為單色，這與他自身色盲的視覺經驗有關。由於無法準確辨識某些色彩間的差異，在創作上，他更傾向使用單色、低彩度的材料，「當我用單色創作時，我看到的樣子，和你看到的會比較接近。」這樣的選擇，亦使其作品與「時間」產生了微妙的關係——當物件褪去色彩，只剩材質與形體，觀者更容易將注意力投向時間留下的痕跡，進而促使思考：什麼樣的物件能留存？什麼才是未來會被記得的記憶？
Those familiar with his work know that Arsham's sculptural universe is predominantly monochromatic, a choice closely tied to his experience with color blindness. Unable to accurately distinguish certain color differences, he prefers to work with monochrome, low-saturation materials. "When I create in monochrome, what I see is closer to what others see." This choice also imbues his work with a subtle relationship to time. When objects shed their color and are reduced to material and form, viewers more easily focus on the traces left by time, prompting reflection on what objects endure and what memories will be preserved in the future.
「我認為藝術家的任務是詮釋所處的時代，提供當下的觀點。」Daniel Arsham 相信作品意義會隨著時間而變，而作品越貼近人們的日常生活，轉譯的可能性也就越多。直到今天，他仍最常回到最單純的創作形式——鉛筆與炭筆素描。「這讓我想起十歲放學後，坐在桌邊畫畫的感覺。什麼都不需要，只要紙和筆，就能創造出一個世界。」
Asked about the idea of legacy in his work, Arsham offers a pragmatic and clear response: "I believe the artist's role is to interpret the era they live in and offer a perspective of the present." He trusts that the meaning of artworks changes over time, and the closer a piece is to people's daily lives, the more opportunities there are for new interpretations. To this day, he frequently returns to the simplest form of creation: pencil and charcoal drawing. "It reminds me of sitting at my desk after school when I was ten years old. All you need is paper and pencil to create a world."
Daniel Arsham 的藝術世界看似灰白，其實飽含層次，他用最少的色彩，說出最多關於時間和記憶的故事，並透過作品創造歷史尚未發生的片段，讓人們得以提前閱讀一場關於未來的考古筆記。
Daniel Arsham's artistic world may appear gray and muted, but it is rich in layers. With minimal color, he tells profound stories about time and memory, crafting fragments of history yet to unfold, offering us a glimpse into an archaeological record of the future.
