The beauty of distortion. How linguistic dislocation generates visual form
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Autor:innen
Autor:in (Körperschaft)
Publikationsdatum
2025
Typ der Arbeit
Master
Studiengang
Master of Arts FHNW in Digital Communication Environments
Typ
11 - Studentische Arbeit
Herausgeber:innen
Herausgeber:in (Körperschaft)
Übergeordnetes Werk
Themenheft
DOI der Originalpublikation
Reihe / Serie
Reihennummer
Jahrgang / Band
Ausgabe / Nummer
Seiten / Dauer
Patentnummer
Verlag / Herausgebende Institution
Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Basel FHNW
Verlagsort / Veranstaltungsort
Basel
Auflage
Version
Programmiersprache
Abtretungsempfänger:in
Praxispartner:in/Auftraggeber:in
Zusammenfassung
This project was inspired by a moment of confusion during a journey abroad – where the boundary of language dissolved, and misreading quietly emerged, turning text into a visual maze. A mobile translation app rendered absurd phrases with cold precision but accidentally opened a door to poetic imagination. Misaligned language was no longer a failure, but a surreal entry point into humor and wonder. One striking case: a German cafeteria menu was translated as “vegetarian gyroscope.” The phrase conjured images of spinning vegetables and mechanical salads – absurd, yet strangely vivid. This moment revealed how mistranslation can generate rich visual potential. Drawing on Walter Benjamin’s concept of “pure language,” Derrida’s “différance,” and Amelia Walker’s idea of “chaotic translation,” this project explores the creative power of mistranslation in visual and spatial contexts. HGK Basel’s multilingual campus became the stage for this exploration. Misread signs were transformed into collages, typographic experiments, and site-specific projections, each reflecting the layered complexity of cross-cultural language flow. Focusing on four campus sites – All Welcome WC, The Half-Open Door, Elektro, and der Tank – the project reimagines spatial misreadings through image-making. Absurd translations gave rise to new, uncanny scenes: a toilet open to all creatures; a crying floor beneath an elephant; a forgotten electric lab; a bunker-like art space. These images were projected back into their real locations, inviting viewers to experience the poetry of misreading. Rather than correcting errors, this work celebrates it – as a lens to rethink translation, perception, and the beauty of not fully understanding.
Schlagwörter
mistranslation, misreading, imagination, image generation
Fachgebiet (DDC)
Veranstaltung
Startdatum der Ausstellung
Enddatum der Ausstellung
Startdatum der Konferenz
Enddatum der Konferenz
Datum der letzten Prüfung
ISBN
ISSN
Sprache
Englisch
Während FHNW Zugehörigkeit erstellt
Ja
Zukunftsfelder FHNW
Publikationsstatus
Begutachtung
Open Access-Status
Lizenz
Zitation
Zhao, Y. (2025). The beauty of distortion. How linguistic dislocation generates visual form [Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Basel FHNW]. https://irf.fhnw.ch/handle/11654/53659