105. Visual Arts in Translation

From its earliest stages, art history has relied on a crucial yet largely invisible medium: translation. Language has always played a central role in shaping the schools and canons of art history. Today, with the growing interest in world art studies and an increasing awareness of the marginalization of non-Western art, the significance of translation has become even more pronounced. This panel invites translators, scholars, and museum professionals to reflect on how theories and histories of the visual arts travel across languages, cultures, and nations.

Any translation is an interpretation of a source text that extends beyond the original author’s intentions. Translation is not only mediated by linguistic factors; in the realm of the visual arts, culturally specific ways of seeing and thinking visually add further layers of complexity. What are the challenges, possibilities, and limitations of this intercultural dialogue? What role does selection play in shaping what is granted visibility? How does translation challenge, reinforce, or bypass power structures, including forms of censorship? What are the advantages and distortions produced by English’s dominance in art-historical discourse? How does the growing use of AI in translation reshape authorship and access? These are some of the questions this panel seeks to address.

Themes: Translation, global art history, languages.

Additional format comment: Four papers followed by a Q&A and discussion.

Lead Convenor: Katayoun Youssefi, Carleton University, PhD student, Canada.

To submit a Paper to this Session, please follow the guidance on our website and complete the AAH 2027 Call for Papers Proposal Submission Form.