The Typography of Translation
Objective: Select one word from a supplied list of “untranslatable words” and design a bilingual book that uses typography to help us understand it.
热闹 (RéNao)
The Chinese word rénao is usually translated as “lively” or “bustling,” but its true meaning goes beyond these adjectives. A place or situation that is rénao is not only fun and lively, but also has a special vibe that makes everyone want to be there. A lively, special bar or club may be rénao, but so might a university class or meeting with friends
Based on my research of the phrase rénao, I've come to the conclusion that it is nearly impossible to experience this situation alone. This is what sparked the idea of a book on surveillance in China. Millions of CCTV Cameras are installed in China to keep a close eye on its citizens, so I wanted to replicate this feeling of never truly being by yourself. The idea that Chinese citizens live in a constant state of rénao, whether they know it or not, comes into question.
For this book, I laser cut a hole going straight through all the pages, which exposes a camera that lies inside the book. The camera is connected to a screen, which would display the reader, hence the title "Watching you, watching me".
I welcome feedback / critiques / suggestions!
Disclaimer: I can't read/write in Chinese, so I used Google to translate everything. This is a school project, so I apologize if there are grammatical errors or any other issues.
