T02. Repetition
“Repetition is a form of change.”
Never twice without three times, this is how we are as human beings. We try to bring back the nice things and good feelings, but we also make the same mistakes. Repetitions can be seen in all kinds of human creations and histories, it encompasses certainly also art and design, which I want to write about here.
有一必有二，这可算是人类的天性。我们总在尝试重温一切的美好，却也不断犯着同样的错误。事物的重复在人类历史和创造中随处可见，当然也包括在艺术与设计作品中。
Starting with the historical architectures, which still can be seen out there all over the world. From the ancient time to the modern era, from Africa to Asia, the repetition of architectural components is widely used to create especially large buildings. There are several reasons for doing that, efficiency by production and building must have been one of the most important reasons, the solemn and majestic visual effect of repetition is also hard to overlook.
就从我们身边仍然存在的历史建筑说起。从古至今，在全球的各个文化背景下，建筑（特别是大型建筑）中单个元素的重复与堆叠屡见不鲜。提高建造效率、降低花费是古人这么做的一大主因，而重复与堆叠带来的庄重与威严感也是不可忽视的因素。
Karnak-Temple, Egypt.
埃及卡纳克神庙
The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy.
意大利比萨斜塔
The Forbidden City, Beijing.
北京故宫
Also in modern and contemporary architectures, the repetition of elements has never left the stage. Behind it are the same reasons for efficiency and the great impression brought by the huge quantity. Especially with the modernist architecture movement between 1900 and 1980, uncountable great architects followed function rather than form: Glass, steel, and reinforced concrete are used to build repetitions of the simplest basic elements. Its beauty might not be fashionable at this moment, but the aesthetics behind it is everlasting.
在现当代建筑中，元素的重复与堆叠则从未离开过舞台。背后的原因亦是同样的，造价与效率，以及巨大数量所带来的震撼。特别是流行于1900到1980年间的现代主义建筑运动，无数优秀的建筑师追随功能而非造型，用玻璃与钢筋水泥建成了最简单基础元素的重复与堆叠。她的美也许不是时下的流行， 但其中蕴含的审美观却历久弥新。
The Seagram Building - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe & Philip Johnson. The 1950s (New York City, US)
路德维希·密斯·凡德罗与菲利普·强生（纽约）
Bauhaus-Archive Design Museum, Berlin
包豪斯设计档案博物馆（德国柏林）
However, the quantity isn't absolutely decisive. Sometimes a low but fine amount of repetition would be enough to create an introverted impressive vibe that makes you smile.
然而数量并不是绝对的因素。很多时候一个少量而精致的重复，便足以带来内敛又舒适的美感。
Also when we come into our home, repetition is a very often used language by interior designers. Here the structure of the building itself can already be a perfect decoration that creates a neat look and a comfortable sense of extension.
当我们回到家里，重复堆叠亦是一个室内设计师常用的设计语言。在这里，房屋结构本身就能够扮演装饰的角色，带来整洁的外观和舒适的延伸感。
Repeating structure of the roof connecting the indoor and outdoor room.
重复结构的屋顶连接室内和室外的空间。
Doors and windows made of wood and paper are very common in Asian cultures, which add a repeating pattern to the interior environment.
纸与木的门窗给空间给予空间一个重复的图腾。
Regardless the result, weaving itself is one of the activities with the most repetitions. That might be another topic in the future.
不论成品如何，编织行为的本身便是由大量重复构建而成。也许这将是之后的另一个话题吧。
Anything can be a piece of art when they repeat themselves in a huge amount. This might be only my hypothesis. But if we look back on the numerous successful artworks, architectures, and design pieces, my hypothesis might look a lot more reasonable.
任何事物，当它们重复堆叠到一定的量时，便能成为一件艺术品。这也许只是一个我疯狂的假设。然而当我们回顾那些成功的艺术、建筑及设计作品，我的假设似乎看起来也不无道理。
The London Mastaba - Christo and Jeanne-Claude. 2016-2018 (Hyde Park, London)
克里斯托与珍妮-克劳德（伦敦海德公园）
One of the last installation pieces from Christo and Jeanne-Claude used over 7500 colored oil barrels. There is no explanation for this artwork, just like their other pieces. However, no one can go away from it without staring at it for minutes.
克里斯托与珍妮-克劳德最后的装置艺术作品之一，用到了超过7500个上了色的油罐。就如同他们的其他作品一样，这一件依然没有任何解释说明，然而这并不影响人们久久驻足观赏它的美。
“We make beautiful things, unbelievably useless, totally unnecessary.”
For the Documenta 14 in Kassel, Argentinian artist Marta Minujin collected over 60,000 once forbidden or still forbidden books all over the world to create this huge installation. The quantity here definitely played a highly important role.
阿根廷艺术家米努金为第14届卡塞尔文献展创作的大型装置艺术，收集了超过6万本曾经和当下的禁书建成。在这里，数量显然扮演着尤其重要的角色。
The Parthenon of Books - Marta Minujin. 2017 (Friedrichsplatz Kassel)
玛尔塔·米努金（卡塞尔弗里德里希广场）
Repetition is not always connected to huge objects, actually, we can find it on lots of daily-used products, from furniture to electronic devices. With much smaller basic elements and higher densities, designers need to be extra careful with finetuning the details sometimes to an extremely subtle level.
重复堆叠并不只存在于大体量的物件中，实际上在我们身边常用的物品——包括家具和电子产品——身上都能找到它的影子。由于基本元素的缩小以及密度的提高，设计师在工作中往往要更加谨慎地考虑每一个细节，方能做出有质感的作品。
Like this table I saw on Salone del Mobile in Milan, with its two glass layers of repeating pattern, it dragged all the attention on the shadow beneath it, presenting an implicit and introverted beauty.
就像这张我在米兰家具展上看到桌子，用双层玻璃与重复的元素，却将目光引向其下之影，营造出一种含蓄而又内敛的美。
Repetition of elements can be functional on a product too. A very common use of it is to create cooling ribs, which is very necessary for a lot of electronic devices, from commercial usage to medical and laboratory devices. It is at the same time a very crucial visual character besides its function and is normally written very carefully in the brand guideline.
元素的重复堆叠亦能拥有一定的功能。最常见也许就是作为散热口了，从家用电器到实验室与医疗设备都有此需求。同时它也是一个产品身上非常重要的视觉元素，往往会被写进品牌的产品设计规范中。
Mac Pro - Apple Inc., California
The repetition of holes on the back of the chair improve the ventilation and comfort while sitting.
椅背上重复的圆孔能够增强透气性和舒适度。
The same repetition is also broadly used for speakers. (BEOSOUND A1 - Bang & Olufsen)
相同的重复元素同样被广泛运用在音响设备上。
Some random thoughts of a designer…
一个设计师的发想…
Repetition Study - evolution and collide
演化与碰撞
Repetition Study - when is it a pattern and when is it not
重复的开始与终结
Repetition Study - letters and characters
K S J L 人 木 も Ж
Wasted Time
浪费的时间