Translation

Translation is an attempt to transcribe something into a language that is foreign to it. It exposes all the discrepancies, all the differences that separate national, regional and ethnic expressions. It tries to go beyond the untranslatable and misunderstandings. Translation is a key element in Jonathan Jones’ exhibition, in which each body of work highlights how the interpretation and understanding of other cultures can be modified through communication and exchanges. One might compare this approach to that of Grada Kilomba, who draws inspiration from the mythical figures of Greek tragedies, but transcribes in their fates the issues that trouble our world. The impossibility of translation is finally found in Joël Andrianomearisoa’s idea – borrowed from Edouard Glissant – of opacity, which runs through his entire plastic work.