Languages: Evolution X Dissolution
Parsons School of Design
2021
There are more than 7,000 languages spoken in the world today, out of which only 23 account for more than 50% of the world’s population. Around 3,000 languages are on the brink of extinction or are already in the process of dying out. Most people who speak more than one language are witnessing this rapid descent within their lifetime; yet, it is not widely considered a point of concern.
A Utopian/Dystopian Future of Languages
Regardless of the differing theories that suggest language either appeared suddenly during the evolutionary process or evolved gradually over thousands of years—whether it is understood as a culturally inculcated phenomenon or an innate faculty that is genetically coded—it is widely agreed that language began with gestures, to which sound was later attached.
Languages were invented to coordinate, communicate, and commune. While thousands of different languages once formed distinct cultures, the advent of tools and technology gradually led to cultural assimilation, mixed languages, abbreviations, and other linguistic transformations.
For this exercise, what initially appeared to be a problem—due to the sentimental value attached to languages and their role in history and personal lives—was reimagined as a natural result of evolution.
In this map of languages, a future is imagined and projected wherein, considering the current rate at which languages are dying out, a point is reached where a single global language prevails. Over the course of thousands of years, this language continues to be reduced and abbreviated until it reaches a state of no spoken language.
Gestures remain, and sound is eliminated.
This apex of silence may result either from complete artificial intelligence dominance (dystopian) or from human cognitive abilities advancing enough to replace spoken language with telepathy (utopian).
This journey—from beginning with no spoken language to ending with no spoken language—gave rise to a circular map, representing continuity and continuum.
3D Visualization
This map was then translated into an art installation.
The result was an experience of observing an imagined future from the outside- a future that incorporates elements of the past, materialized through different media and textures such as newspapers, yarn, symbols, and tools, alongside the evolving present, manifested in the form of an audio-visual compilation.
