PERFORMING A TRANSLATION – exhibition at 1Shanthiroad, Bangalore

2016

Ingenting förändras. Vatten är fortfarande vatten. Sand är fortfarande sand.

A translation is a function that moves an object a certain distance without changing it in any other way.

The object is not rotated, reflected or resized. The object is not damaged, twisted, turned or put into question. Every point of the object must be moved in the same direction and for the same reason. We know this because the arrow tells us the direction in which the object was moved. The object is unaltered. It does not change colour, shape or flavour. It is not lost or broken. Nothing changes. Water is still water. Sand is still sand.

A translation is a transformation of the plane that slides every point of a figure the same distance in the same direction. A translation is a transformation of the plane that slides. A translation is a transformation that slides a figure in a different direction, slides a figure without changing it.

When performing a translation, you may be given a figure drawn on a coordinate plane. Then you will be asked to translate the figure. You will be given a distance and direction for the transformation. Then you will begin to slide.

Installation at 1Shanthiroad, Bangalore. Text on the wall and floor, plywood cut-outs and plastic bead stickers, script for reading which was performed on the opening night. Text composed from found and revised geometric definitions of translation: a function that moves an object without changing it. The wooden words: ನೀರು, water in Kannada, and रेत, sand in Hindi.

The exhibition was made possible with support by Iaspis – The Swedish Arts Grants Committee’s International Programme for Visual and Applied Artists.

Photographs by Ashok Vish.