Project R-15831

The Image Tongue: Translation as Visual Art (Research)

The Image Tongue: Translation as Visual Art reimagines translation as an artistic, material, and intermedial practice, moving beyond its conventional association of linguistic equivalence. By shifting the focus to how meaning migrates across systems of signs—such as linguistic images, typographies, stutters, silences, non-verbal sounds, and visual or sculptural forms—the research positions translation as a sensory and creative act that opens up possibilities for reinterpretation and cultural exchange. Grounded in my perspective as an immigrant artist and educator, the project combines artistic experimentation with theoretical inquiry to challenge rigid frameworks of equivalence and explore translation as a tool for resistance, care, and world-building. The research employs a multifaceted approach, including the development of experimental translation tools such as drawn note-taking systems, audiovisual compositions, and sculptural practices that disrupt conventional linguistic structures. These methods are informed by the work of Roman Jakobson, Vilém Flusser, and Fernand Delingy, and contextualized through interviews and case studies with translators, educators, and language practitioners. By bridging personal narrative, artistic processes, and theoretical frameworks, the project reframes translation as a dynamic methodology for creating alternative systems of communication and understanding. Ultimately, The Image Tongue: Translation as Visual Art seeks to redefine translation. It offers new frameworks for cultural exchange and dialogue, responding to an increasingly divided world by imagining alternative modes of connection and expression.

01 November 2025 - 31 October 2029