Alex Davilmar


  • — design



    • — photography



    • — essays and writtings

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    intertwined/인연



    Lost in Translation



    While visiting Korea, apps were crucial for us to be able to translate menus or interpret what we were trying to say to people. Technology was helping us bridge the gap between language and culture, but what happens when language fails to capture the essence of the translation?


    인연 (In-yeon) does not have a direct translation in English, and intertwined does not have a direct translation in Korean. 인연 (In-yeon) and intertwined souls start to have a correlation between each other but no English words encapsulate the full conceptual grasp of the Korean word. 인연 (In-yeon) represents the building of relationships between souls in past and present lives while also representing fate and destiny. Every interaction between people, every eye contact you have ever had, and every time someone has bumped into you, has been a culmination of past lives leading to that point.

    When making this piece, I wanted to explore the limitations of language with digital tools that can only be bridged by human experiences and human interactions. This experience is directly related to the experience of traveling and experiencing cultures so different from the one you know and are comfortable with. Watching a youtube video is not the same as being emmeresed.
    I also wanted the animation to continue moving after it has formed to depict the interactions between souls moving and intertwining with each other.