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Invention of a hybrid language

Yao Qingmei

2010

6 printed documents, 5 audio files

Single size 182x257mm, total audio duration 5'29".

Lecture des textes pendant un séminaire sur le «langage, geste, jeu et territoire» à l’IUFM de Limoges, durée: 3 min., 2011

 

I have always wanted to create a kind of universal language combining all existing languages, but which ultimately sounds and looks like none of them. I superimposed the four Chinese tones on the pronunciation of French/English words and then I tried to read a variety of texts, from everyday Chinese and French life. The type of texts chosen included samples from literature, news, politics, advertising, recipes, etc.

 

“ Bǒnjoŭr ! Bǒ-ònsŏir ! Cŏmmént çă vā ?Jě váis biěn. ĕt toi ? Sòlèil. Lùnè. Cīēl. Píerré. Fěu. Eău. Těrre...”

 

It could be considered a future European-Chinese language. Yet this language is incomprehensible to European and Chinese people. In this sense, my project is in- deed a clumsy new utopia. This language originates in European fears that the world will be taken over by Chinese. Mocking this fear, I intend to repeat my language non-stop for 24 hours on the radio or over the internet. (This could be considered a latent strategy of ideological invasion). 

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