As a Russian-born non-native speaker I frequently use words incorrectly, or use words that don’t exist, generating confusion and different interpretations of my verbal expressions. As a scenographer and a theatrical storyteller, I play with narratives that are mismatched with, or in active opposition to the environment in which they are situated, as a tool to create productive encounters that lead to a new understanding of space.

 “Мис”Translation is a live participatory event that explores an exchange between image and written language and embraces the creative possibilities of verbal and artistic mis-matches. The installation situates a mixture of misused words and nonsensical narratives in a spatial and visual context and invites the participants to engage in a back-and-forth of misused words and displaced narratives.

The first public work-in-progress presentation of “Мис”Translation” took place at Target Margin Theatre in Brooklyn, NY, on June 26, 2021.