Welcome to Translation Games

Translation Games explores the theory and practice of translation within literature, i.e. between languages, and in the fine arts, i.e. between art genres and art practices.
The Games are played from 5th June to 2nd July 2013 by a group of translators, artists and textile designers. You can see the results of our project at an exhibition and a series of public events in venues in Central London, as well as on this website, which will spring fully into life on 2nd July.

The Rules of the Game:

The project is modelled on the game of Chinese Whispers, where a message is passed from person to person and goes through various stages of transformation. We have commissioned a short creative text, which is the source text for both the literary and artistic translations. The text will then be translated from one language into the next - i.e. from English into Portuguese, from Portuguese into Italian, from Italian into German, etc. - and, in a parallel strand, from one art genre into the next - i.e. from text to performance, from performance to video, from video to sculpture, from sculpture to painting, etc. At each stage in the language chain the text will be given to a textile designer who will translate it into textile: this will ‘weave’ the text translations, and the art practices, together. Only the first translator/artist will have access to the source text, whereas all other translators and artists will only have access to the text/artwork directly before them in the chain of languages/art genres.

The project culminates in an exhibition at the end of July , which showcases the texts alongside the artworks and textile designs, with a public event to launch it.
Our digital platform here will go live on the first day of the exhibition: it will feature the artworks and translations alongside explanations and comments by artists and translators.

Translation Games is led by Ricarda Vidal and Jenny Chamarette. For more info contact us at translationgames2013@gmail.com

Find us on Facebook: Translation Games

What We Made

By Colleen Becker

I once knew a boxer who regularly needed to punch someone in the face to feel relaxed and right about his place in the world. I’m not like that: I don’t need to punch people in the face to feel good about and within myself. My temperament is nearly his opposite. I confront the world through stillness; I contort my limbs into postures that resemble plants and animals, I worship the sun.

He and I conceived, but what emerged was less a presence than an absence. At first, there was the mere sliver of a form; hardly anything at all, we thought, or at least nothing noteworthy. Thriving on our neglect, it evolved, expanded and developed its own traits. It had a tone, a texture and a flavor, which was bittersweet.

First it enveloped, and then it replaced, us. We suffocated, atomized, and reverted to "me" and "him." When we recognized what it had done, we each responded in our characteristic ways. He pummeled it with swift, staccato jabs of his fists, seeking to control it, to force it into submission. But there was nothing to defeat, and no clear path to victory. I twisted and turned about, observing it from different angles, hoping to achieve a point of view that would help me better understand it. But it defied reason, as well. What we made was so vast, that, finally, there was nothing more for us to do but face each other across the widening gulf and wave "goodbye."

Ce que nous avons construit

J’ai connu une fois un boxeur qui avait régulièrement besoin de cogner quelqu’un dans le visage pour se sentir calme et rassuré quant à sa place dans le monde. Je ne suis pas comme ca : je n’ai pas besoin de cogner des personnes dans le visage pour me sentir bien dans ma peau. Mon tempérament est en fait pratiquement opposé. Je fais face au monde à travers l’immobilité ; je me tords dans des positions ressemblant à celles des plantes et des animaux, je vénère le soleil.

Lui et moi avons conçu, mais ce qui nous est apparu avait moins à voir avec une présence qu’avec une absence. Au début, il y a avait le simple éclat d’une forme, presque rien du tout nous pensions, ou rien d’important du moins. Prospérant à travers notre abandon, cette chose a évolué, grandit, et a développé ses propres traits. Cette chose avait un ton, une texture et une saveur, qui était aigre-douce.

D’abord cette chose nous a enveloppés, puis ensuite remplacés, nous. Nous nous asphyxions, nous atomisions, et nous sommes revenus à « moi » et « lui ». Quand nous avons reconnu ce que cette chose avait fait, nous avons répondu avec nos manières caractéristiques. Il la roua de coups, de poings secs et saccadés, essayant de la contrôler, de la forcer dans la soumission. Mais il n’y avait rien à battre, et aucun chemin clair vers la victoire. Je m’entortillais et me retournais, l’observant de différents angles, espérant trouver un angle qui m’aiderait à la comprendre mieux. Mais elle résistait à la raison aussi. Ce que nous avions créé était tellement vaste que, finalement, il n’y avait plus rien à faire pour nous que de nous regarder face à face, autour du gouffre qui s’élargissait, et de nous dire « au revoir ».

Ce que nous avons construit de vous

Une fois j’ai connu un boxeur, qui avait souvent besoin de frapper afin de se sentir calme et sûr de lui dans le monde. Je ne suis pas ainsi: je n'ai pas besoin de frapper les gens pour me sentir bien dans ma peau. En faite, mon tempérament est à l’opposé.

Je m'affronte au monde à travers l'immobilité; je me tortille et j'assume des positions semblables à celles des animaux et des plantes, je prie au soleil. Nous avons conçu, lui et moi, mais ce qui s’est présenté à nous avait moins l’air d’une présence que d’une absence. Au début, c’était le simple éclat d’une forme, nous pensions que ce n’était rien du tout, ou tout du moins rien important. La situation a bien poussé dans la négligence, a évolué, a grandi et a développé ses propres traits: elle avait un ton, une consistance et un gout. C’était amer.

Avant elle nous a enroulé, et après elle nous a remplacé. Nous avons étouffés et explosés et enfin nous sommes devenus « moi » et « lui ». Lorsque nous avons compris ce qui s’était passé, nous avons réagi pour nos comportements respectifs. Lui, il avait bombardé la situation de coups de bâtons pour essayer de la contrôler, pour la pousser à la soumission.

Mais il n’avait rien fait d’autre que frapper, mais sans chemin vers la victoire. Je me contorsionnais et je l’entourais, je l’observais sous tous les angles, dans l’espoir de trouver celui qui pourrait m'aider à mieux comprendre. Mais elle résistait même à la raison. Ce que nous avions créé était si grand qu’à la fin, il n'y avait d'autre à faire que de se regarder l'un l'autre, sur les bords de cet abîme grandissant, en se disant « à plus tard ».

Lo que os hemos construido

Una vez conocí a un boxeador que, para sentirse sereno y seguro de su puesto en el mundo, tenía que golpear alguien en su cara regularmente. Yo no soy así: no tengo que golpear personas en sus caras para sentirme bien acerca de mi misma. Mi temperamento es, en realidad, completamente opuesto. Yo me enfrento al mundo a través de la inmovilidad; yo me retuerzo y asumo posiciones semejantes a las de los animales y de las plantas, adoro al sol.

Nosotros hemos concebido, yo y él, pero lo que nos apareció tenía menos que ver con una presencia que con una falta. Al principio, estaba el simple resplandor de una forma; nada de nada, nos pensábamos, o per lo menos nada de importante. Prosperando en nuestro abandono, la situación ha evolucionado, ha crecido y ha desarrollado sus proprios rasgos: tenía un tono, una consistencia y un sabor. Era agridulce.

Antes nos ha enrollado, y después nos ha reemplazado. Nos hemos asfixiados y atomizados, para al fin volver a ser “yo y “él”. Cuando nos hemos dado cuenta de lo que había pasado, nosotros hemos reaccionado con nuestros comportamientos característicos. Él ha hartado de palos la situación, con disparos de golpes secos, para intentar a controlarla, para obligarla a la sumisión. Pero él no tenía nada que golpear, y no camino seguro hacia la victoria. Yo me contorcía y rodeaba, observándola desde distintas angulaciones, esperando de encontrar una que pudiera ayudarme a entenderla mejor. Pero ella resistía incluso a la razón. Lo que nosotros habíamos creado era tan grande que, al final, nos quedaba nada más que mirar el uno al otro, al borde de aquel abismo en expansión, y decirnos “hasta luego”.

O que construímos

Um dia conheci um boxeador que, para se sentir calmo e seguro em relação ao seu lugar no mundo, tinha que dar golpes nas caras das pessoas constantemente. Eu não sou assim, não tenho que bater nas caras das pessoas para me sentir bem comigo mesma. Meu temperamento é, na verdade, completamente o oposto. Eu enfrento o mundo por meio da imobilidade: eu me contorço e faço posições semelhantes às dos animais e das plantas... adoro o sol.

Criamos algo, ele e eu. Porém, o que surgiu tinha menos a ver com uma presença do que com uma falta. No começo, era o simples resplendor de uma forma: nada de nada, pensávamos, ou ao menos nada de importante. Prosperando em nosso abandono, a coisa evoluiu, cresceu e desenvolveu seus próprios atributos: tinha som, consistência e sabor. Era agridoce.

Primeiro nos condensou e, depois, nos expandiu. Nós nos asfixiamos e atomizamos, para, no final, voltarmos a ser “ele e “eu”. Quando percebemos o que tinha acontecido, reagimos com nossos comportamentos característicos. Ele bateu de frente, com disparos de golpes secos, para tentar controlar a situação e fazê-la submissa a ele. Mas ele não tinha o que golpear e não sabia como vencer. Eu me contorcia e me enrolava, observando por diversos ângulos, esperando encontrar um que pudesse me ajudar a entendê-la melhor. Mas ela resistia até mesmo à razão. Aquilo que nós havíamos criado era tão grande que, ao final, não nos sobrava nada mais do que olhar um para o outro, na beira de um abismo em expansão, e dizer “tchau”.

Das, was wir an euch verstanden

Vor einiger Zeit kannte ich einen Boxer der zur Beruhigung und aufgrund seines Selbstbewusstseins andauernd das Bedürfnis hatte, jemanden zu schlagen. So bin ich nicht: Ich brauche niemanden zu schlagen, damit ich mich in meiner Haut wohl fühlen kann. Mein Temperament ist eigentlich das Gegenteil. Ich stehe reglos der Welt gegenüber. Ich wende mich zusammen und übernehme die Stellung eines Tieres oder einer Pflanze. Ich bete die Sonne an.

Er und ich, wir, haben etwas geschöpft, aber das, was sich dargeboten hat, hatte weniger etwas mit einer Anwesenheit als mit einer Abwesenheit zu tun. Am Anfang handelte es sich um einer einfachen Gestalt. Wir dachten, diese Gestalt wäre nichts – oder mindestens nichts Wichtiges. Die Lage mündete in die Nachlässigkeit, sie ist gewachsen und hat eigene Zügen entwickelt: sie hatte Ton, Konsistenz und Geschmack. Und zwar: bitter.

Am Anfang wickelte sie uns ein und hinterher ersetzte sie uns. Wir erstickten und explodierten und wurden schliesslich zum Er und Ich. Als wir verstanden haben, was geschehen war, haben wir gemäss unseres jeweiligen Gemüts reagiert. Er hatte die Lage mit Stockschlägen bombardiert, um zu versuchen, sie zu kontrollieren, um sie zur Fügsamkeit zu erzwingen.

Doch er hat immer nur geschlagen, ohne sich auf den siegreichen Weg einzuschlagen. Ich verrenkte mich, und umgab sie, ich beobachtete die Situation von jeder Hinsicht, in der Hoffnung, einen Anhaltspunkt zu finden, der mich besser aufklären könnte. Doch sie wehrte sich sogar gegen den Verstand. Das, was wir geschaffen hatten, war so gross, dass wir uns am Schluss vor dieser unendlichen Tiefe nur noch betrachten konnten und ,bis später’ sagten.

Yarattığımız şey

Bir zamanlar sakinleşmek ve dünyadaki yerini korumak için sürekli çevresindekileri dövme ihtiyacı duyan bir boksör tanırdım. Ben öyle değilim; kendimi iyi hissetmek için başkalarını dövmeye ihtiyacım yok. Aslında tamamen zıt mizaçlıyım. Hareketsiz kalarak dünya ile yüzleşirim; kendimi değişik hayvan ve bitki duruşlarına sokarak; güneşe ibadet ederim.

‘O’ ve ben birbirimizi hayal ettik ama bu hayal var olmaktan daha çok olmamakla ilgiliydi. Basit bir silüet vardı, başka hiçbir şey olmadığını düşündük, ya da önemsemedik.Terkediliş üzerinden gelişen bu şey büyüdü ve kendi özeliklerini gelistirdi. Bu şeyin sesi, dokusu ve tatlı-ekşi bir tadı vardı.

İlk önce bizi sardı, sonra da bizim yerimizi aldı. Bu şey tarafından boğulduk, parçalara ayrıldık, ‘O’ ve ‘Ben’ kavramına dönüştürüldük. Bunun olduğunu anladığımızda, kendi karakterimize uygun şekilde cevap verdik. ‘O’ durumu kontrol etmeye çalışarak, kabullenmeyi sağlamak için siyah-mavi ve keskin-sarsıntılı yumruklar attı. Fakat ortada savaşacak birsey yoktu ve zafere giden açık bir yol da görünmüyordu. Dönüp durdum, ‘O’nu daha iyi anlamama yardım etmesi icin, değişik açılardan inceledim. Ama bu da mantığa uygun gelmedi. Yarattığımız bu şey öylesine büyüktü ki, en sonunda birbirimizi izlemekten, yüzyüze bakmaktan, çevremizdeki genişleyen uçurumda birbirimize hoşçakal demekten baska bir çaremiz kalmamıştı.

The thing we created/What we created

I once knew a boxer who constantly felt the need to strike those around him in order to calm himself down and secure his place in the world. I’m not like that; I have no need to hit others in order to feel good. In fact, my temperament is quite the opposite. I face the world, remaining motionless; posing as different animals and plants; I worship the sun.

He and I imagined one another, but this image was more concerned with not existing than it was with existing. It had simple silhouette, we thought it to be nothing more, that or we didn’t care. This thing, which developed out of abandonment, grew, and developed its own characteristics. This thing had a sound, a texture and a taste that was both sweet and sour.

First it enveloped us, then it took our place. We were suffocated by this thing, shattered, reduced to the labels ‘Me’ and ‘Him’. When we realised what was happening, we each responded according to our own personalities. Trying to control the situation so as to ensure his acceptance, ‘he’ threw punches, black and blue, sharp and jerking. But there was nothing explicit there to fight, nor did there seem to be any clear path to victory. I kept returning to it, so that ‘he’ would help me to understand ‘him’, I examined it from different angles. But this didn’t seem logical either. What we had created was so big that in the end we had no choice but to watch one another, to face one another, to say goodbye to one another in the chasm widening around us.

What have we made?

Once I knew a boxer, who had the urge to punch someone regularly to determine his right position in the world and to keep himself relaxed. I do not need to punch someone to feel better inside or apparently. My temperament is absolutely opposite to his. I wrestle the world in poise. I twist my hands and feet into specific shapes that resemble animals and plants. I worship the sun.

I and he created it but the being that appeared was less an entity than a nonentity. Initially it was a tinge of a face, close to nothingness, we thought so or at least nothing worth mentioning. It grew nourishing on our negligence, diffused, and adopted its characteristics and manners. It had its own tone, a form, and a bitter-sweet taste.

First it concealed us, and then it replaced with us. We smothered, flinched, and reverted to being “me and “him”. When we realized what it had done, we responded separately in our own ways. He constantly but irregularly attempted to control it, to overcome it, by the strokes of his wrists, but there was nothing to be defeated and no clear path to the victory. I circled and turned, viewing it from many different angles, hoping to find such a position from where I can better understand it. But it was beyond the reason. What we had created was so vast that there was nothing for us in the end, except that we could wave goodbye, face to face from that growing abyss.

Ciò che vi abbiamo costruito

Una volta ho conosciuto un pugile che, per sentirsi sereno e sicuro in quanto al suo posto nel mondo, aveva bisogno di colpire qualcuno in viso regolarmente. Io non sono così: non ho bisogno di colpire la gente in viso per sentirmi a posto con me stessa. Il mio temperamento è, in realtà, completamente opposto. Io affronto il mondo attraverso l’ immobilità; mi contorco e assumo posizioni simili a quelle degli animali e delle piante, venero il sole.

Abbiamo concepito, io e lui, ma quello che ci apparve aveva meno a che fare con una presenza che con un’ assenza. All’ inizio, c’era il semplice bagliore d’ una forma; niente di niente, pensavamo, o per lo meno niente d’ importante. Prosperando nel nostro abbandono, la cosa si è evoluta, è cresciuta ed ha sviluppato i propri tratti: aveva un tono, una consistenza ed un sapore. Era agrodolce.

Prima ci ha avvolti, e poi ci ha rimpiazzati. Ci siamo asfissiati ed atomizzati, per poi ritornare ad essere “me” e “lui”. Quando ci siamo resi conto di ciò che quella cosa aveva fatto, abbiamo reagito con i nostri comportamenti caratteristici. Lui l’ha riempita di botte, con scatti di pugni secchi, per cercare di controllarla, di forzarla alla sottomissione. Ma non aveva nulla da picchiare, e nessuna strada certa verso la vittoria. Io mi contorcevo e rigiravo, osservandola da diverse angolazioni, sperando di trovarne una che mi aiutasse a capirla meglio. Ma essa resisteva persino alla ragione. Ciò che avevamo creato era talmente vasto che, alla fine, non ci rimaneva null’ altro che guardarci in faccia, sull’orlo di quel baratro in espansione, e dirci “arrivederci”.

That which we created

I once met a boxer who, to feel serene and sure of his place in the world, had the need to regularly strike someone in the face. I am not like this: I don’t feel the need to hit people in the face to feel sure of myself. My personality is, in reality, completely the opposite. I confront the world through inertia; I contort my body and assume similar positions of those of animals and plants, and I worship the sun.

We conceived, he and I, but that which appeared to us had less to do with a presence and more to do with an absence. At the beginning, there was the simple light of a form; nothing special, we thought, or at least nothing important. We prospered in our abandonment and the situation evolved, it grew and developed its traits: it had a tone, a consistency and a flavor. It was bittersweet.

It first enveloped us, and then replaced us. We were asphyxiated and atomized, and then we returned to being “me and “him”. Once we realized what that thing had done to us, we reacted according to our characteristics. He pounded on it, with quick and sharp punches; he tried to control it, to force it into submission. He did not have anything to hit anymore, and no road to take towards victory. I would contort myself and toss and turn, observing it from different angles, hoping to find one that would help me understand it better. But it resisted even to reason. That which we created was so vast that, in the end, nothing remained if not staring at each other, on the verge of an expanding abyss, and say “goodbye”.

What we created

I once knew a boxer who regularly needed to punch someone in the face in order to feel calm and reassured of his place in the world. I'm not like that. I don't need to punch people in the face to feel comfortable in my skin. Actually, my temperament is quite the opposite. I face up to the world by becoming motionless, twisting myself into positions like those of plants and of animals. I worship the sun.

He and I created it, but what appeared before us seemed less like a presence than an absence. At first, there was the mere glow of an outline, and we thought it was almost nothing at all, or nothing important at least. Thriving on our neglect, this thing evolved, grew and developed features of its own. This thing had a tone, a texture and a flavour that was bittersweet.

At first this thing engulfed us, and then it replaced us. We suffocated, disintegrated, and went back to being “me” and “him”. When we realised what this thing had done, we responded in our usual way. He gave it a good beating, with sudden, sharp blows, in an effort to control it and force it into submission. But there was nothing to hit, no clear road to victory. I twisted and turned myself, looking at it from different angles in the hope of finding one that would help me to understand it better. But it defied logic as well. What we had created was so vast that, in the end, there was nothing we could do but look at each other face to face around the growing abyss, and bid one another “farewell”.

This is what we have made of you.

Once I knew a boxer, who often needed to hit in order to feel calm and sure of his place in the world. I am not like that: I don’t need to hit people to be at ease. In fact, my temperament is the opposite. I confront the world through immobility; I shift and I assume positions similar to those of animals and plants, I worship the sun.

We had created something, me and him, but what we had created seemed more like an absence than a presence. At first, it was the mere flicker of a form, we thought that it was nothing at all, or at least nothing important. Out of negligence, the situation had grown quite a lot, had evolved, got bigger and developed its own features. It had a tone, a consistency and a flavour. It was bitter.

At first it wound itself around us, and by the end it had replaced us. We suffocated and exploded and at last we became “me” and “him”. When we understood what had happened, we reacted in our respective ways. Him, he had assaulted the situation with blows to try and control it, and beat it into submission. But all he had done was hit, hit with no victory in sight. I contorted myself and I surrounded it, I observed it from all angles, in the hope of finding that which could help me to understand better. But it was even resistant to reason. What we had created was so big that in the end, there was nothing else to do but to look at each other, on the edge of this abyss that continued to grow, thinking “I guess this is goodbye”. .

What we’ve built you

Once, I knew a boxer who, in order to feel at peace and sure of his place in the world, had to regularly hit somebody in the face. Me, I’m not like that, I don’t have to hit people in the face to feel good about myself. My temperament is, in fact, completely the opposite. I face the world through immobility. I writhe and assume positions like those of the animals and the plants. I worship the sun.

We conceived, he and I, but what appeared to us had less to do with a presence than with an absence. At first, it was the mere gleam of a form; nothing at all, we thought to ourselves, or at least nothing of importance. Thriving in our indifference, the circumstance evolved, grew and developed its own features; it had a tone, a consistency and a taste. It was bittersweet.

First it enveloped us, and then it replaced us. We suffocated and pulverised one another, eventually returning to ‘he’ and ‘I’. When we realised what had happened, we reacted in our characteristic ways. He gave the situation a real beating, raining down blows to try to gain control over it, to force it into submission. But he had nothing to hit and no sure path to victory. Me, I twisted and circled, observing it from various angles, hoping to find one that might help me to understand it better. But even reason, it resisted. What we had created was so vast that, finally, there was nothing left but to look at one another, on the edge of that expanding abyss, and to say, “See you later”.

What we created.

One day I met a boxer who, to feel at peace about his place in the world, had to constantly throw punches at people. I’m not like that; I don’t need to hit people in the face to feel good about myself. My character is in actual fact, the complete opposite. I approach things with still disposition: I contort myself into positions similar to plants and animals...I love the sun.

Him and I, we created something. However, what emerged was less the result of some thing, but rather the lack of it. In the beginning, it was the simple glory of an abstract form: nothing at all, we thought, or at least nothing of importance. Flourishing in our negligence, it grew, evolved and developed its own attributes: sound, substance and flavour - it was bittersweet.

At first it entangled us, and then, it unraveled us. We smothered each other and came apart so that, in the end, we reverted to being ‘him’ and ‘I’. By the time we realised what had happened, we reacted in accordance to our innermost dispositions. He came in hitting, throwing off flurries of dry punches, in order to control the situation and make it submit. But he had nothing to punch and knew not how to win. I squirmed and struggle to find in various angles, one that could help me to better understand the situation, but it defied all reason. What we had created was so large that in the end, there was nothing left but to look at one another, on the brink of a growing abyss, and say ‘goodbye’.

ہم نے جو بنایا

میں کبھی ایک باکسر کو جانتا تھا جس کو دنیا میں اپنی صحیح جگہ کا تعین کرنے کے لئے اور خود کو ریلکس رکھنے کے لئے با قائدگی سے کسی کو مکا مارنے کی ضرورت محسوس ہوتی تھی. مجھے اپنے اندر یا ظاہری طور پر بہتر محسوس کرنے کے لئے مکا مارنے کی ضرورت نہیں . میرا مزاج اس کے بلکل برعکس ہے .میں سکوت میں ہی دنیا سے بھڑتا ہوں.میں اپنے ہاتھوں پیروں کو ایسی مخصوص شکل میں مروڑتا ہوں جو جانوروں اور پودوں کے مشابہہ ہوتی ہے ، میں سورج کی پرستش کرتا ہوں.

میں نے اور اس نے اس کو خلق کیا.لیکن جو وجود سامنے نمودار ہوا وہ موجودگی کم اور عدم زیادہ تھا .پہلے پہل وہ صورت کا ایک شائبہ تھا ، بلکل کچھ بھی نہ ہونے کے برابر، ہم نے سوچا ، یا کم از کم کچھ بھی قابل ذکر نہیں . ہماری بے پرواہی پہ پنپتا ہوا وہ پروان چڑھا ، پھیلا اور اس نے اپنے خواص اور اطوار اختیار کیے. اس کا اپنا ایک سر تھا ، ایک ساخت تھی، ایک ذائقہ تھا جو میٹھا -کڑوا تھا .

پہلے اس نے ہمیں چھپایا اور بعد میں اس نے ہم سے تبدیل کر دیا. ہم گھٹے اور سکڑ گئے اور واپس 'میں ' اور 'وہ ' پہ آ گئے. جب ہم نے شناخت کیا کہ وہ کیا کر چکا ہے ، ہم نے الگ الگ اپنے انداز سے اس کا جواب دیا. اس نے پے دار پے مگر غیر متواتر اپنی کلائی کی ضربوں سے اس پر قابو پانے کی کوشش کی مگر شکست دینے کو کچھ نہ تھا ، اور جیت کی کوئی واضح راہ نہ تھی .میں گھوما اور مڑا، اس کو کئی زاویوں سے دیکھتے ہوے، امید کرتے ہوے کہ مجھے کوئی ایسا زاویہ نصیب ہو جہاں سے میں اس کو بہتر سمجھ سکوں . مگر وہ عقل سے ماورا تھا . ہم نے جو بنایا تھا وہ اتنا وسیع تھا کہ بالآخر ہمارے لئے اور کچھ نہ تھا ماسواے اس کے کہ ہم اس بڑھتی ہوئی خلیج سے چہرہ بہ چہرہ ہو کر 'الوداع' لہرا سکیں .

The Only Thing about You That We Could Fathom.

Some time ago I knew a boxer who, because of his self-consciousness, felt the constant urge to punch someone to calm himself. I am not like that. I do not need to punch anyone, because I feel comfortable in my own skin. In fact, my nature is quite the opposite. I face the world motionless. I turn inward and adopt the stance of an animal, or of a plant. I worship the sun.

We created something, him and I, but what came to be had rather to do with absence, and much less with presence. At first it was all about a simple design. We wrongly assumed it to be nothing – or at least nothing important. The situation fell into neglect, and the design grew, and developed its own traits: it had tone, consistency, and taste. Namely, bitterness.

Initially it enveloped us and subsequently it replaced us. We suffocated and exploded, and finally came to be Him and I. Once we understood what had happened, we reacted according to our respective tempers. The boxer bombarded the situation with blows from a cane in an attempt to control it, to force it into submission. Yet all his blunt hitting kept him from hitting the road to victory! I contorted myself and surrounded it. I observed the situation from every possible angle, hoping to find a clue to solve this riddle. Nonetheless, it continued to defy all reason – what we had created was too big for us to do anything else but, ultimately, gaze at the perpetual depth and say anything else but “see you later.”

What I made of you

I once met a boxer, who often felt the urge to hit something in order to feel calm and self-assured. I’m not like that: I don’t need to hit people in order to feel good with myself. Actually, my temper is completely opposite. I face the world by being immobile: I toss myself and take positions similar to those of animals and plants: I pray to the sun.

We had something built together, him and I, but what was born from this seemed more like an absence than a presence. At the beginning, it was only the mere flickering of a shape, and we were thinking that it was nothing, or nothing important. The situation slipped into grubbiness, it evolved, grew up and developed its own features: had its own tone, its specific consistency and taste. It was bitter.

Before, it had us both enshrouded, for that later it would replace us. We began to suffocate, we exploded and ended up becoming “him” and “me”. When we understood what had happened, we each acted in their own specific way. He attacked the situation with brutal hits, thus trying to control and subdue it. But all he did was to kick, without any victory. I would get agitated and surrounded him, observing him from every angle, hoping that I might find the one that could help me understand better. But not even reason could breakthrough. The force of what we had created was so great, that in the end we had little choice but look at each other, on the edge of this abyss that kept on growing, and say “Good-bye”.

Ceea ce am făcut din voi

Odată am cunoscut un boxer, care avea adesea nevoia de a lovi pentru a se simți calm și sigur pe sine în lume. Eu nu sunt așa : eu nu am nevoie să lovesc oamenii pentru a mă simți bine în pielea mea. De fapt, temperamentul meu este complet opus. Eu înfrunt lumea prin imobilitate ; mă zvârcolesc și asum poziții asemănătoare animalelor și plantelor ; mă rog soarelui.

Creaserăm, el și cu mine, dar ceea ce s-a născut din asta părea mai mult o absență decât o prezență. La început, nu era decât simpla licărire a unei forme, iar noi gândeam că nu era de fapt nimic, sau nimic important. Situația a alunecat apoi înspre neglijență, a evoluat, a crescut și și-a dezvoltat propriile trăsături : avea propriul ton, propria consistență și gust. Era amar.

Înainte ne infășura, pentru ca mai târziu să ne înlocuiască. Ne-am sufocat și am explodat și am sfârșit prin a deveni ‘eu’ si ‘el’. Când am înțeles ceea ce se petrecuse, am acționat fiecare în felul său specific. El a atacat situația cu lovituri brutale în încercarea de a o controla, pentru a o subjuga. Însă nu făcea altceva decat să lovească, dar fără sorți de izbândă. Eu mă agitam și îl inconjuram, observandu-l din toate unghiurile, în speranța de a-l găsi pe cel care m-ar putea ajuta să înțeleg mai bine. Însă nici rațiunea însăși nu putea să o pătrundă. Forța a ceea ce creaserăm era atât de mare încât la sfârșit nu ne rămăsese altceva de făcut decât să ne privim unul pe celălalt, pe marginea acestei prăpăstii ce tot creștea, și să ne spunem ‘la revedere’.

Anna Cady

I work responsively. Co-creating pieces with people who are not necessarily visual artists; for example, a girl with cerebral palsy, a dancer, a friend with a life threatening illness or a piece of text. The work becomes a conversation between the artist, the collaborator and the audience.
Use of text and image is an integral part of my practice; the words and image having their own place in the work and being of equal importance - one revealing or enhancing the essence of the other with no set rules as to whether the text or the visual element comes first.
I consider that in the making of the work and in its curation it is the bodily (embodied) experience of both the maker and the viewer which interests me most.

Aura Satz

The work of Aura Satz encompasses film, sound, performance and sculpture. In recent years she has made a collection of films that look closely at sound visualisation through various technologies and acoustic devices such as the Chladni plate, the Ruben's tube, the theremin, mechanical music, phonograph grooves and drawn/optical sound. Her films engage with the materiality of these technologies and the resulting sound patterns - codes in the act of formation - and how these destabilise paradigms of writing and readership. The camerawork tends to pore over its subject, zooming in visually and acoustically until it becomes abstracted in scale and context and reconfigured to evoke a new anatomy or landscape of sorts, an architectural structure, or a writing system. The film narratives often explore the more metaphorical, literary and cinematic associations, whilst the visuals provide an intimate encounter with archaic and obsolete sound technologies, exploring their de-familiarized sculptural and tactile qualities, and revealing new ways of thinking about sound. She is particularly interested in technologies, which are on the cusp of invention or obsolescence, at the point in time when their purpose, their ergonomic relationship to bodies, and the ways in which they might be modelled on physical or psychic human functions are at their most unstable.

Mayuri Boonham

Mayuriʼs work is informed by her abiding passion for evolving the movement language of classical Bharata Natyam for contemporary audiences. She works regularly in collaboration with a wide range of international musicians, composers, designers, performers and artists. An important element of Mayuriʼs working practice is to crossfertilise her Indian cultural heritage with ideas from other cultures and disciplines, so multiperspective viewpoints and simultaneous renditions enrich the concept. Correspondences between Hindu and Western spiritual mythologies distill her own interpretation and help her work towards a simplicity and clarity in the final articulation of layered references. Her experience of classical Bharata Natyam includes working in depth with poetry or text from various languages of India (such as Sanskrit, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu) translated into English, which is then translated into dance using classical Bharata Natyam movement vocabulary. Her contemporary works include a lyrical expression and translation of poetry or visual art into abstract, symbolic movement, music and design.

Anna Cady's Bio

After a short career in textiles I returned to University in 1994 to do a BA (Winchester) and MA (Goldsmiths) in Visual Art. I use a variety of media, including short films, pinhole and digital photography, drawing and text. 30% (women and politics in Sierra Leone) a short film I made with award winning animator Em Cooper - screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and continues to screen internationally. My current exhibition, Forever for Everyone, is the result of a residency at Mottisfont Abbey, a National Trust property - 16 films are installed throughout the house until November. They were made co-creatively with staff and volunteers who wore a tiny camera strapped to their bodies. Other artist films include ‘Farms of Innocence’ a stop motion film screened at Tate Modern and internationally, and ‘Out of Space’ from a project called ‘It Works Both Ways’ made with Louisa Makolski which has been screening at film festivals and been the subject of academic debate. http://www.annacady.com

Matt Rowe's Bio

Matt Rowe’s object based practice is focused on vernacular symbols and the language of folklore. He often combines various disciplines, ceramics, model making and textiles to produce sculptural costumes, props and artifacts that play with notions of regional and local identity. He uses his costumes and props as a means to create unexpected structures in the landscape that echo with associations of storybook narratives and ancient legends. Continuingly photographing his structures, he is developing a portfolio of landscape images that blur the real and the imaginary. http://mattroweportfolio.co.uk

Aura Satz's Bio

Aura Satz has performed, exhibited and screened her work nationally and internationally, including the Zentrum Paul Klee (Switzerland); Färgfabriken (Stockholm); Wundergrund Festival (Copenhagen); Frieze Art Fair NY (New York); Tatton Park Biennial (Cheshire); AV festival (Newcastle); Arnolfini (Bristol); Ikon gallery (Birmingham); FACT (Liverpool); Site Gallery (Sheffield); Galleria Civica di Arte Contemporanea di Trento (Italy); De La Warr Pavilion (Bexhill-on-Sea); Turner Contemporary (Margate); BFI Southbank, Whitechapel Gallery, the Victoria & Albert Museum, Barbican Art Gallery, ICA, Jerwood Space, Tate Britain, Beaconsfield Gallery, Artprojx Space, the Wellcome Collection and the Tate Tanks (London). During 2009-2010 she was artist-in-residence at the Ear Institute, UCL. In 2012 she was shortlisted for the Samsung Art+ award, and the Jarman award. Solo exhibitions in 2013 include the Rotterdam Film Festival, the Hayward project Space (London), and Paradise Row gallery (London), and performances at the experimental music festivals of Only Connect in Oslo and Wundergrund in Copenhagen. Her projects can be seen online http://www.iamanagram.com

Mayuri Boonham's Bio

Mayuri trained in classical Bharata Natyam dance under Prakash Yadagudde at the Bhavan Centre, Institute of Indian Fine Art and Culture, London. She is an experienced choreographer and classical Bharata Natyam dancer of the current generation of British Dance Artists. Her work has toured widely in Europe at prestigious dance and music festivals, and venues in the UK such as The Royal Opera House, The Place and the South Bank Centre. Mayuri was joint artistic director, choreographer and principle dancer of Angika (1997-2008) and the companyʼs work was at the forefront of contemporary South Asian Dance in the UK for ten years. In 2010 she launched her new company ATMA Dance with two touring works, which were nominated for the London Fringe Festival Award and featured in a BBC4 dance documentary, She was a Choreographer-in-Residence at The Place from 2004-2006. This year she created Erhebung, a dance-art installation in collaboration with the sculptor Jeff Lowe and sound artist Bill Fontana. Inspired by T.S. Eliotʼs Burnt Norton the work is designed for performances in gallery and museum spaces. In the autumn she will create a new work in response to Verdiʼs Otello and based on Shakespeareʼs play for Deloitte Ignite Festival curated by Stephen Fry and The Royal Opera. The performances will be a part of the 200th anniversary celebration of Verdi and Wagnerʼs music. Mayuri is currently a Royal Ballet Affiliate Choreographer. In Spring 2014 she will be presenting a double bill of new works at the Linbury Theatre that will feature a specially commissioned piece by the Royal Opera House.

www.atmadance.com www.facebook.com/atmadance

English into Textile: Scott Ramsay Kyle

Scott Ramsay Kyle is known for specializing in hand embroidery for womenswear and some recent exciting menswear collaborations. Living, working and showing in London, he produces his own small collections, each season developing his simple but informed silhouette, having showcased on both off-schedule catwalk shows and more recently short film presentations. As well as this he consults for a variety of companies and has on-going collaborations with some of London’s ’super-stylists’ for editorial. He is most comfortable when his work combines an art & craft element in a fashion context, an obsessive hobbyist feel, with additional Luxe. His art works look at text, tone and emotion through mark making onto fabric and paper bases that are personal reflections but seen as beautiful objects. Fashion works: www.scottramsaykyle.com Art works: http://ramsaykyle.com/

Turkish into Textile: Reyhan YAZICI

Reyhan was born in 1971 in Arnavutkoy, which is a fascinating Bosphorus district of Istanbul. She holds a degree in Fashion Design and Art (College Academy of Fashion, Istanbul, 1991) and an MBA (2001). She has worked as assistant designer for several big fashion houses. Working for Istanbul-based Suat Aysan she created a fashion line that explores and transgresses the typical ways the body is represented. Having expanded her knowledge and experience with colour and fabric combinations, she focused more seriously on experimental studies, such as the relationship between traditional and contemporary fashion, as well as street fashion. Since 1994 she has designed outdoor collections for several companies and provided style and fashion consultancy to private clients. In 2000 she joined Meridian Textile Co. Having been nominated most successful designer by the marketing and sale department of the holding she became director of the design department in 2001. Since 2002 she has been writing articles about fashion culture for Zaman Newspaper, which is the most widely-read newspaper in Turkey. In 2004, she added a new area to her career and started to work as a lecturer in Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Educational Institutions. Between 2000 and 2010, she has designed special collections for numerous companies and provided fashion and style consultancy for high profile clients. In May 2010 she moved to London to continue her career abroad but this was not the main reason... it was marriage. Once in London she founded her own fashion and style company, Reyhan Yazici Fashion and Style Consultancy. While running her own business she continues to write articles on fashion for newspapers and magazines.

Spanish into Textile: Shaheen Kasmani

With a background in English Language, Literature, Spanish and Education, I am currently studying for a MA in Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts, at the Prince's Foundation in London. With a passion for beauty and light, I am exploring a range of traditional techniques, patterns and materials. One off bespoke pieces as well as patterns and designs for fabrics, clothing, upholstery, ceramics...everyone needs beauty in their lives. Everything has meaning and an everyday object need not simply be functional. Shaheen’s temporary website at: http://shaheen15.wix.com/shaheenkasmani

Welcome to Translation Games

Translation Games explores the theory and practice of translation within literature, i.e. between languages, and in the fine arts, i.e. between art genres and art practices.

The Games are played from 5th June to 2nd July 2013 by a group of translators, artists and textile designers. You can see the results of our project at an exhibition and a series of public events in venues in Central London, as well as on this website, which will spring fully into life on 2nd July.

The Rules of the Game:

The project is modelled on the game of Chinese Whispers, where a message is passed from person to person and goes through various stages of transformation. We have commissioned a short creative text, which is the source text for both the literary and artistic translations. The text will then be translated from one language into the next - i.e. from English into Portuguese, from Portuguese into Italian, from Italian into German, etc. - and, in a parallel strand, from one art genre into the next - i.e. from text to performance, from performance to video, from video to sculpture, from sculpture to painting, etc. At each stage in the language chain the text will be given to a textile designer who will translate it into textile: this will ‘weave’ the text translations, and the art practices, together. Only the first translator/artist will have access to the source text, whereas all other translators and artists will only have access to the text/artwork directly before them in the chain of languages/art genres.

The project culminates in an exhibition at the end of July , which showcases the texts alongside the artworks and textile designs, with a public event to launch it.

Our digital platform here will go live on the first day of the exhibition: it will feature the artworks and translations alongside explanations and comments by artists and translators.

Translation Games is led by Ricarda Vidal and Jenny Chamarette. For more info contact us at translationgames2013@gmail.com

Find us on Facebook: Translation Games

www.translationgames.net

This website was built as a digital exhibition of Translation Games 2013 "What We Made". Translation Games is an active research and exhibitions project. If you want to find out about our present activities please visit: www.translationgames.net

What We Made, or The Only Thing About You That We Could Fathom

Invitation to the first exhibition of Translation Games
Curated by Ricarda Vidal (KCL) and Jenny Chamarette (QM)
31st July to 2nd August 2013 (daily 12-6pm)
Anatomy Museum, King’s College, The Strand
Please join us for the opening on 31st July, 6-9pm
for live performances, a translation competition and prize draw

The Shortest Translation

We'd like to invite you to translate Colleen's original text "What We Made" into a tweet - the shortest tweet will win a £25 book voucher. Send your tweet to translationgames2013@gmail.com or tweet it to @TranslationGames. Winners will be announced on the night of the opening.