Muntadas. On Traslation (english)

Translating a text, an image, an idea or a culture from one context to another can be perceived as a convergence or as a distancing between those two worlds; as a tool for coming together or as an obstacle for communication. In some way, all translation betrays some part of the original, but it also opens up new and different worlds and even questions said original. Because of that, a translation is not merely a cross-cultural activity, but a space in which recognition and permanence of cultural identity come into play. Taking that into account, the Catalonian artist Antoni Muntadas, since 1995, has been working on a series of works entitled On Translation, which are meant to be used in museums, conferences, web pages, installations, series and photographs. In late 2002, Muntadas challenged the MACBA. His idea was not to exhibit the works, but their consequences (study, socio-cultural implications, etc.). The results have been compiled in this catalogue which, in addition to essays by Octavi Rofles, Mary Anne Staniszewski, Javier Arnaldo, and Lebrero Stals, all of which deal with the concept of cultural translation as a contemporary phenomenon.