How translation layers affect museum exhibitions. A semiotic-translational case study of the Museum aan de Stroom (Antwerp, Belgium)

Museums are spaces in which a large number of translation-related activities are conducted. While multilingual introductory texts, labels, pamphlets, etc. compose the verbal texts in museums, installations, background images and objects constitute the visual texts. This PhD proposal presents a case study on MAS regarding its translational layers, i.e., interlingual, intralingual, intersemiotic and intrasemiotic. Hence, this project tackles how verbal and visual texts are selected and translated in various permanent exhibitions of MAS. As the Antwerp-oriented exhibitions enhance the image of Self whereas the multicultural exhibitions underline the image of Other, the visitors come across conscious and unconscious translational choices of a non-expert community, which compose the translation policy of this institution. Taking the works of scholars such as Peeter Torop, Robert Neather and Kate Sturge as the theoretical background, and advancing through the supervision of Luc van Doorslaer, Reine Meylaerts and Elin Sütiste, this project brings novelty as it addresses the translational layers as a whole. The expected results are demonstrative of the stereotypes and prejudices museums can create through translation.