Babylonian Deviations

The collapse of the Tower of Babel becomes a symbol of the loss of transparency between signs and things. Historical linguistics has long wrestled with the idea of a single original language. In the Middle Ages, and down to the 17th century, attempts were made to identify a living descendant of the Adamic language. The myth also promises reconciliation by driving the interaction with the other in all its possible manifestations: in misunderstandings and dialogue, in distraction and listening, in deviation and imitation, in unanimity and disagreement. Modern Babylonization indicate linguistic diversity and the freedom of everyone to choose which language to communicate in, and translation becomes not just a mediator of intercultural understanding but also a guarantor of the freedom of choice.

- Irena Krasteva