Passages of Babel: Translation and the Book Arts of Servane Briand

Center for the Art of Translation and San Francisco Center for the Book join Litquake to present an evening showcasing the sculptural artists’ books of Bay Area artist Servane Briand. The event centers on Passages of Babel, her investigation into language and translation, and what is lost or invented in the act of moving meaning from one tongue to another. All three books in the series will be on view: Arise by Any Other Name, A Comme Babel, and Making Sense, each made in collaboration with poets and translators.

The evening will feature a reading by Servane Briand and her collaborators, Patrick Fenton and Samuel Mignot. Following the reading, Olivia Sears will lead a conversation with Patrick, Samuel and Servane to reflect on translation understood not as a shift between two languages but as a collaborative, multi-dimensional process bridging text, physical structure, and design. Whether you are an avid reader of translated literature, a contemporary art lover, or a design enthusiast, this evening offers a rare chance to engage with books as living, multidimensional sculptures and to experience translation as a physical, tactile journey.

Co-presented with San francisco Center for the Book and Litquake