24 March 2021 Press relesase

Exhibition: Translation – From Babylon to DeepL. The Europe of Languages
Showcase exhibition at the German Museum of Books and Writing Leipzig
16 March 2021 to 31 January 2022

In no other part of the world are as many translations brought to market as in Europe. The unique diversity of languages makes translation an important tool for cultural transfer. The showcase exhibition “Translation – From Babylon to DeepL. The Europe of Languages” focuses on this lively linguistic cultural transfer. It ranges from the myth of the Tower of Babel through to the promises of machine translation.

The European Union has 24 official languages. When all the known languages and dialects spoken in Europe are taken into account, the number exceeds 200. This abundance makes translation not only an important cultural practice but also economically relevant.

Europe’s linguistic diversity is the starting point of the showcase exhibition, which provides insight into the tools and working practices of the translation trade. The exhibition presents translation as the key to intercultural communication, asks questions about new, collective translation formats and takes a closer look at the future of translation by algorithms. At the same time, it provides insight into the work of translators – a profession that lies somewhere between art and craft.

Owing to digitalisation, the millennia-old art of translation is undergoing major changes. Whereas machine translation is regarded by some as a threat to a proud profession, others regard this technology as the realisation of a dream held by mankind for millennia: the notion of being able to communicate across all language barriers. The “KI Box” – a new, interactive installation – gives visitors a playful opportunity to familiarise themselves with how machine translation works. Visitors are invited to decide for themselves whether machine translation is a curse or a source of hope for universal communication – or whether it is ultimately merely a tool with which to build bridges between different languages.

The exhibition was developed in 2020 in the context of the German EU Council Presidency, but could not be made accessible to the public due to the pandemic. In addition to visiting the exhibition on site, visitors can also access numerous digital offerings.

Translation – From Babylon to DeepL. The Europe of Languages

Exhibition at the German Museum of Books and Writing in the German National Library in Leipzig
16 March 2021 to 31 January 2022
Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, Thursday 10:00 to 20:00
Public holidays (excluding Mondays) 10:00 to 18:00
Admission is free.

Digital material

www.dnb.de/uebersetzen

Background

The book has shaped our culture and civilisation like no other medium. For centuries now, our knowledge of humanity and the world has been stored in books. The task of the German National Library's German Museum of Books and Writing is to collect, exhibit and carry out scientific work on testimonies to the history of books and media. Founded in Leipzig in 1884 as the Deutsches Buchgewerbemuseum (German Book Trade Museum), it is the world’s oldest museum of book culture, while its scope and holdings also make it one of the most important.

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Images for editorial use

Press image material is only available in German.