About this Event
How would you express the idea of “缘分” (yuanfen) in your own language? In Chinese, it describes an intangible connection that brings people together, often through encounters that seem coincidental yet personally meaningful. But what happens when a word, a memory, or a part of our identity cannot be fully understood by someone else?
Lost in Translation begins with these moments of uncertainty. Inspired by everyday experiences of navigating different languages and cultures, the exhibition explores translation beyond words: how personal meanings are interpreted, reshaped, or sometimes overlooked as they move between people. Through a collection of untranslatable expressions, personal narratives, objects, moving images, and participatory installations, the exhibition unfolds across three interconnected themes: language and meaning, cultural identity and belonging, and the experiences that remain unspoken. Rather than treating translation as a simple exchange between languages, Lost in Translation asks who gets to define meaning, whose experiences require explanation, and what remains when words are no longer enough. Visitors are invited not only to encounter unfamiliar perspectives, but also to question the assumptions through which they understand others and themselves.
Event venue & nearby stays
Somerset House - East Wing, Strand, London, United Kingdom
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