Notes in the Margins

Inspired by the multilingual context of Switzerland, where different languages and dialects coexist, I focused on the “formal language” found in public spaces — rigid forms of communication that exclude emotion. While these elements are clear and directive, they also reveal how language can become a tool of control, standardisation and sometimes exclusion. 

During the research phase, I concentrated on bilingual inscriptions that provide explicit instructions and guidelines. However, a poetic narrative emerged from the fragments of announcements, notes, half-erased inscriptions and articles I’d found. “Notes in the Margins also explores the concept of the 'trace' — how the inscriptions left in the landscape continue to shape our understanding of space as an opportunity for interaction. 

The production phase of the project resulted in a series of textile spatial objects based on the data collected during the research. Each object is a linguistic unit or construction that combines features of several languages or superimposes semantic elements related to bureaucratic language and its mechanics. 

This series forms a visual-spatial linguistic set that on the one hand refers to a vocabulary and on the other hand creates a play space. I see this play space as a representation of the fluidity of language, which allows me to recreate the experience of the 'outsider' perspective, thus creating space for new forms of communication.

“Raw” series, 2024 — WORK-IN-PROGRESS

The “Raw” series, which is part of the project, contains my notes and findings organized in the form of a project diary. The series also represents the raw material for creating the project’s main textile objects, which present a collection of sorts of vocabulary. Each document in this graphic series is numbered and indicates the source I am working with.

The project also includes the ironic “Instructions” series, which invites the viewer to join in creating the ‘vocabulary’ of bureaucracy.