Zhang Zaozao-Metanoia Funeral-Ceremony-Wedding (Chapter04：Ceremony)

Author: (Greece) Orestes / Translator: Xu Yan

作者：（希腊）奥雷斯蒂斯 / 翻译：徐延

Independent art short film Metaonia (2023)

独立艺术短片Metanoia （“悔改”）（2023）

Zhang Zaozao--Metanoia (Chapter04：Ceremony)

Funeral-Ceremony-Wedding

　　In the opening scene of this fourth chapter of Zhang Zaozao‘s “Metanoia”， we find ourselves in an empty， colorless room， full of empty chairs except one， where a man is wearing a mask of red， broken glass. The mask is brilliantly crafted， giving us the impression of a skull that explodes after being overheated. The contrast between the exploding red mask and the gray cold background is breathtaking.

　　The sense of solitude is reinforced by the air reverberating in the room. The room is full of the sound of dead space， the sound of nothing， the loud sound of silence， and the deafening sound of loneliness.

　　Silence gives way to the melody of Mozart’s “Dies Irae”. The piece was composed by Mozart as a part of Requiem， a composition for funerals.

　　Is this the death chapter？ Or is it about rebirth？

　　Or perhaps it is about the journey in between.

　　Somebody said once that it‘s a long and lonely journey from birth to death.

　　Maybe that’s what broken glass stands for： the alienation we experience， the lack of companionship， and the loneliness which can make a sensitive and fragile soul “break”.

　　Next， we are transferred into the woods， where we meet a woman wearing a mask of blue broken glass. The mask is that of an animal. Zhang Zaozao has purposefully made the exact identity of this animal a mystery. It changes with the angle， and possibly even the mood of the viewer. Despite the ambiguous identity of the animal， there is clear whimsical energy in that mask-a thirst for life and exploration.

　　The two protagonists roam around， constantly surrounded by people and yet， constantly alone. Until they meet and through a frantic dance they entangle their hands. The two become one. The fragmentation ends... Or does it？ In the final scene， the woman removes the ring from her finger - a gesture that reverses the usual wedding ceremony， where the call is placed on the finger. The “couple” no longer holds hands. Instead， the woman decides to hold her hand. The loud sound of silence returns and howls ominously...

　　It is a property of physics that white light is refracted into colors when it travels through the glass and broken glass can amplify the sensation that the world is full of light and colors.

　　Zhang Zaozao‘s work as that prism： transforming white light into colors and transforming the mundane into the sublime. Metanoia is Greek for “Repent”， but to repent doesn’t mean to apologize. Zhang Zaozao is unapologetically bold at expressing her inner world. And that‘s what makes this work great！

　　Orestes， the author， is a Greek academic scholar conducting research in the fields of behavioral sciences and their relation with artificial intelligence. He is also a photographer and has studied in the past philosophy of art.

　　March 11， 2023

　　Director， Producer， Screenwriter & Art Director：Zhang Zaozao

　　Executive Director： Wen Lingxing

　　Dancer： Tang Guo

　　Model： Sun Yichuan

　　在章藻藻的“Metanoia”（“悔改”）第四章的开场中，我们发现自己身处一个空荡荡的、没有色彩的房间里，到处都是空椅子，只有一把椅子上坐着一个戴着红色碎玻璃面具的男人。面具做工精良，给人一种头骨过热后爆炸的印象。爆炸性的红色面具与冷灰色背景之间的对比令人叹为观止。

　　房间里回荡的空气更加强了孤独感。死亡空间的声音、虚无的声音、寂静的巨大声音和孤独的震耳欲聋的声音充斥着整个房间。

　　沉默被莫扎特的《震怒之歌》的旋律所取代。这首曲子是莫扎特作为葬礼乐曲《安魂曲》的一部分创作的。

　　这是死亡篇章吗？还是关于重生？

　　也可能是关于这两者之间的旅程。

　　有人曾经说过，从出生到死亡是一段漫长而孤独的旅程。

　　也许这就是碎玻璃所代表的：我们所经历的异化、缺乏陪伴和孤独，而这种孤独会让敏感而脆弱的灵魂“崩溃”。

　　接下来我们来到了树林里，我们在那里遇到了一个戴着蓝色碎玻璃面具的女人。面具像一只动物，但章藻藻故意让这只动物的确切身份成为一个谜。动物会随着角度的变化而变化，甚至可能随着观众的心情而变化。尽管这只动物的身份并不明确，但那个面具中有一种明显的异想天开的能量，而这种能量是对生活和探索的渴望。

　　两位主角四处游荡，总是被人包围，却又总是孤身一人。直到他们相遇并通过疯狂的舞蹈将他们的手缠在一起，两者合而为一。碎片化的过程看似结束了，但实际上并没有。在最后一幕中，女人从手指上取下戒指--这一手势与通常的婚礼仪式相反，而通常的婚礼仪式是将戒指戴在手指上。这对“夫妻”不再牵手。相反，女人决定握住自己的手。寂静的巨响再次响起，发出不祥的嚎叫……

　　这是物理学的一个特性，白光在穿过玻璃时会折射成颜色，碎玻璃可以放大世界充满光和色彩的感觉。

　　章藻藻的作品就是那个棱镜：将白光转化为彩色……平凡变成崇高。 Metanoia 在希腊语中是“悔改”的意思，但悔改并不意味着道歉。章藻藻大胆地表达自己的内心世界。这就是这项工作如此出色的原因！

　　作者奥雷斯蒂斯是一位研究行为科学及其与人工智能的关系的希腊学者。他也是一名摄影师，并研究了艺术哲学的历史。

　　2023年3月11日

　　导演、制作、编剧，艺术指导：章藻藻

　　执行导演：温凌杏

　　舞蹈表演：唐果

　　模特：孙一川