文 / 黄佩玲

本地房地产市场近日掀起“米老鼠公寓”热潮，迷你单位的面积小得只有两个半的停车位，却能以高价出售，让业内人士纷纷乍舌。对钻研房地产的投资经理或分析专员来说，什么地区、什么类型的房屋应值得什么价钱，他们心里有数。像这样似乎不按理出牌的售价，让他们不禁怀疑，购买“米老鼠公寓”的消费者是否太不谨慎、没做好功课，才有如此不够理智的决定？

越精通某一领域的人，自然对属于该领域的产品所应有的价格，具有更精准的体会。可惜，消费产品的普罗大众往往不是什么专业达人，消费心理也从来不纯粹是理智和客观的；它一定夹带着情绪，可能是虚荣也可能是不安。即使来到艺术品的消费行为，尽管所谓艺术是属于难以量化的范畴，但仍然出现备受争议的高价现象。

估计是目前全球身价最高的在世艺术家戴敏·赫斯特（Damien Hirst），颠覆了人们如何定位当代艺术作品价值的观念。或者说，这名英国鬼才艺术家把艺术价码拉高至一个连行家也难以理解的水平。

1992年，一个极具诡异性的作品面世了——“The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living”（生者对死者无动于衷）是由赫斯特创作，英国前卫艺廊萨奇美术馆创办人查尔斯·萨奇（Charles Saatchi，亦是广告界知名前辈）则赞助其制作费。当时候，赫斯特受萨奇委制一件可在展廊里摆设的艺术品，题材内容不拘，只要是赫斯特创作的，萨奇就会买单。

结果，赫斯特找了一名渔夫，在澳洲成功捕捉一只体积大得让人看见就想逃命的虎鲨，之后把张开血盆大口的虎鲨摆入一个盛满甲醛的玻璃箱子内。就这样，虎鲨在临死前张口攻袭、原本消失于瞬间的片刻，被保存为永恒与具体的一幕，展现在参观者眼前。

批评者质疑，创作这类似乎只有噱头的作品，需要艺术天分或累积多年才得的艺术造诣吗？作品卖的是一个概念，与纯属的技艺或手工无关，如此一来，“艺术”还值钱吗？不论你愿意与否，这答案是肯定的，至少在目前这个人们忙着找一个更新奇的理由来消费的富裕世界（说得更准确，是贫富悬殊、但有钱者则非常有钱的富裕世界）。2004年，萨奇美术馆以1200万美元的高价，成功把虎鲨作品卖出。

两年前，赫斯特又创“高峰”，制作了一个镶上8601颗钻石的骷髅头艺术品，并提出1亿美元的天文数字般的叫价。不对，这件晶闪耀眼的作品其实不是由赫斯特所“制作”——他是负责出点子，再请师傅们把钻石镶在一个源自18世纪的真人骷髅头上。

和赫斯特一样，当今另一名身价水涨船高的美国艺术家Jeff Koons也是主张“动脑不动手”的艺术创作形式。他善于制造话题，一举一动都引人注目，包括在1991年娶了意大利知名色情电影明星。Jeff Koons为自己所打造的名气，让他的作品引起更多关注与争议，结果也成功地把作品以高价推销出去。

孜孜不倦地投身于艺术工作的人难免感叹，像这类少了实质手艺的作品能大盛其行，是人们不懂得欣赏艺术了吗？ 付出惊人的价码来拥有一些不知其价值是否经得起时间考验的艺术品，这是明智的投资或消费行为吗？

消费心理是不理性的，但市场运作却是完全客观——有人想买，自然就把价格往上推，消费欲望决定了产品或作品价码，关键不在于其内在价值。所以，概念式的当代艺术品和米老鼠公寓同样会继续流行。

不过，价码看似一切，却又不尽然是一切。把一个镶满钻石的艺术品摆在客厅里，你每天驻足观看时，恐怕还是只想到金钱。比较于欣赏一幅可能名不经传的画作，作品内容让你产生共鸣，每一次欣赏都有一番不同体会，让你默默赞叹，这幅作品还真懂得你的心情。这是遇见好作品时所获得的满足感，只能细细品味，价值无可衡量。

prada transformer

大大小小的热卖风席卷六月份的岛国，不论是邻里或市区的购物商场都布满减价打折的诱人信息。如此看似热闹的消费氛围，让人差点儿忘了数个月前所爆发的全球金融海啸。

当时候不乐观的情绪让人对未来感到担忧、对购物开始止步。一些时尚编辑很懂得顺应时局，纷纷推测2009年将流行不喧哗的低调时尚，任何品牌标志太张扬的包包或服装都该往衣柜里的最深处埋葬。

不过，尽管在非常时期里的欲望跟着不明朗的时局渐渐“萎缩”，有一些事情还是得继续做，包括消费。问题是，该把钱花在哪一些物品，又或该消费哪一些品牌？什么样的设计与创意能满足人们在低靡氛围中的诉求，并且不至于在低靡的经济气候里显得突兀？

说真的，我对2009年的设计潮流是有期待的：是不是没有资格奢侈与浪费的时代能让我们重新寻获好设计的魅力，让设计回归到最根本的层面？

 把时间点拉长来看，很有趣的，时代背景与创意的催生往往有着密切的关系。当世界一战爆发时，英国军方因长期身陷壕沟战而委托Burberry设计改良式的风衣，增加可别上阶级军徽的肩带；袖口活动式的细带可防止雨水渗入，风衣也加强其防风、防雨、保暖和透气等功能。这类设计的风衣也因此以壕沟的英文名Trench Warfare 而命名。

 由于生产过剩，Trench Coat在战后平价出售，跟着普及开来。在四十至六十年代的电影中，便时常看见好莱坞明星身着这款风衣的身影。至今已被捧为经典的Trench Coat便是一个具影响力的设计例子。它满足某个时代的需求，进而走入人们的生活。

 回到2009年，当被问及经济衰退的时代背景将如何影响创意时，曾为时尚品牌Prada设计多家概念店的建筑大师库哈斯（Rem koolhaas）认为，设计创意将回归到以舒服为主的理念。他认为，“这将是设计师以具效率的方式来呈献美好事物的最好时机。”

 这名鬼才建筑师几个月前为Prada设计了一个引人注目的临时建筑，名为Prada Transformer。坐落在首尔的这个“变形建筑”，其基本结构是一个由圆形、十字形、长方形和六边形组合而成的四面体空间。建筑内部可呈现四种不同组合的墙面和地板，配合不同活动用途与需求而进行“变形”，包括举行时装走秀、电影放映和艺术展览等活动。

 有点异型的白色架构谈不上具备撼人的美感，可是却让设计与时尚追从者连声赞好。原因不外是库哈斯为原本单调的临时建筑，增添了具伸缩性的使用空间。没有多余的点缀或无谓的细节，设计作品发挥了有效率的功能性，进而有了可被延续的生命。

以最简单和有效率的方法来解决问题，这就是好设计的魅力。好设计理应在除去品牌光环后，仍然能够发挥其功能效应；即使没有华丽的外衣，也能在消费者的生活里起影响力。

我想到了“无印良品”（Muji）——这个在日本经济泡沫后大红大紫、引领消费者回归简约主义的日本品牌。“当你能创作一个再简单不过的东西时，少既是多。”（If you create something so simple, less is more）——这就是无印良品的创意总监Kenya Hara为其品牌所定下的核心原则。

因为简单，结果就多出了可灵活变通的空间。弗兰克·盖里（Frank Gehry）设计前卫的经典椅凳耀眼独特，摆在客厅或许能吸引眼球、制造话题，甚至是满足客厅主人的虚荣感；可惜，尽管姿态再骄傲，却可能敌不过一张普通非常的木制四角椅子，其设计毫不“出位”，但正是这样一种简单的特质，让它能随性地融入任何空间，由主人添加属于自己的个人色彩。

 这是一个对奢华极度崇尚得快叫人窒息的年代，但也同样在这个时候，人们开始无法忽视因地球资源日益严重短缺而拉起的警报。一场金融海啸也让原本一味追求奢华人生的华丽一族不得不反省，我们究竟有多少本钱能够任意且继续挥霍？

过度预支后的生活是应该开始沉淀，事物的本质也将重显，至少我是这么相信的。尽管欲念不会死亡、消费仍会延续，但我还是不免期望，经济崩坏的时代将让无印良品式的简约哲学，重返你我的生活。

Emotional hurt is the price a person has to pay in order to be independent.”

完美无“卸”——L’oreal’s newly-launched lipstick “Infallible”. Above is the marketing write-up for the product. I went on to interview 3 female profiles for an advertorial in 《女友》. Refer to below for full article.

“Safety is about doing the right thing, even if no one is looking. And doing the right thing defines the one common value we hold at Team-6 Safety Training & Consultancy.

No shortcuts. No quick fixes. We believe in covering every ground towards achieving excellence in workplace safety and health. After all, why compromise when your company’s bottomline and well-being are both at stakes?

Our high standards have created a unique service culture at Team-6 Safety Training & Consultancy. We deliver the best fitting risk control solution for our clients within boundaries of integrity and fairness. “

For further reading, please visit http://www.team6safety.com/index.php

 Skilled talents. Bright Future.

In today’s swift and furious pace of global competition, workforce development has taken on an unprecedented urgency. Singapore’s future economic success depends critically on how well we grow and hone the talents of our people.

Not wanting to fall behind, we continuously equip ourselves with better skills. Not any skills but those that will keep us employed.  Employment is no longer enough. The market is looking for employability. The vigilant ones actively keep up with every latest shift and change. We do not stop as we envision a better live down the road. Together we march on to transform our destiny.

Shaping your future. Because ours is in yours.”

Another writing project by Murakami Copycats: Corporate website writing for STYLELINE.

Visit their website today to understand more about their innovative bamboo solutions.

http://www.styleline.com.sg/home.html

The STYLELINE’s story:

“It started with an ambition to build the best foundation possible. One that is tasteful, strong, durable yet sustainable enough to see us through the years ahead.
Some did not believe that bamboo could do the job. Fortunately, skepticism was not enough to cloud our imagination. We pushed on and a revolutionary product was born. Tough and resistant, strand woven bamboo is specially created to withstand the many hard knocks in life.
More importantly, our smart innovative flooring solution lays the ground work to build a sustainable future. “

Interested readers can download the ebook at:
http://ebookdownload.yourheartyourlife.com/

“A poet should never fall in love with another poet — love is already too much like gambling on oil futures. Two poets in love must succumb to the same folie à deux as the actor and the actress, the magician and the fellow magician, because each knows already the flaws beneath the greasepaint, the pigeons hidden in top hats, all the pockmarked truth beneath illusion. Real lovers, Shakespeare long ago reminded us, have reeking breath and hair like a scouring pad.”

Anyway the above insight was derived from a book titled “Words in Air”. I have always been hooked on books which are actually collections of corresponding letters and writings. Think the lovely “84 Charing Cross Road”. The writing is engaging but what makes it a classic read is what has been left unsaid between the penpals.

“Words in Air” collects the letters between Robert Lowell and Elizabeth Bishop, from a few months after they met at a dinner party in 1947 to a few weeks before his death of a heart attack 30 years later, a correspondence conducted across continents and oceans as their poetry drove them together and their lives kept them apart.

Now i keep my fingers crossed that Borders stocks this book.

“Winning Recipes for Growth” Series in The Straits Times (Mar - Apr 2008)

Cedele is one of my favourite home-grown cafes. It is the eatery I run to whenever I am about to fall sick and have to watch what I eat. The cafe subscribes to the philosophy of “Eat Well Be Well” and takes great efforts to source for quality organic ingredients and create recipies that marry health and taste.

I was overjoyed when I knew Bakery Depot, the company behind the Cedele brand, was among the F&B interviewees listed by client (Spring Singapore).Ms Yeap, the company’s founder, exuded an undeniable passion for healthy diet as she shared with us enthusiastically about the health benefits of natural ingredients. She also talked about how an organic diet had helped her mother in fighting a major illness some years back.

My article for the series focused more on the operations and business aspects. Here is the link to the online article - “Technology In The Real Food Solution”:
I wrote a total of four articles for the series. Read here for the story on Mr Bean - “The Brand with a Big Heart”

On Waraku - “Safety On The Menu” 

On Wood Restaurant - “Whetting Appetites with Hot Ideas”