TRANSLATE

Being bilingual and navigating through familiar and foreign cultures and languages is a state Alice and Ladan are both experiencing on a daily basis.“TRANSLATE” installation is offering an analogous experience for viewers: to move and decode.

Using our three languages of English, Korean, and Persian, we have explored the three alphabetic systems through the letter forms and through utilizing moving lights in order to investigate coded meanings within obscure forms. The word “translate” means to move from one place or condition to another. English, Korean, and Persian are written in three different directions (left to right, top to bottom, and right to left, respectively.) These directions are used to demonstrate different perspectives to reveal a common meaning. The equivalent words for “translate” in Persian and Korean also begin with a “t” sound. This commonality is presented visually as the three words/sentences start from the same position.

Collaboration with Assistant Professor Alice J Lee
Translate: 2018 Faculty Biennial, University Galleries, Illinois State University
Vinyl, clear acrylic / 2018
Photos by Alice J Lee, Jason Judd, Ladan Bahmani