This project originates from research developed during the Corporeal master's program at ArtEZ University of the Arts, using the methodology of Spread Power by Space. It explores how language can be perceived and translated through the body.

Participants are invited into a darkened room designed to minimise visual distraction and create a mental and sensory space. They listen to a spoken language they do not understand and respond through movement while holding light sources. Using long-exposure photography (15 seconds), their movements are captured as luminous traces, resulting in light paintings that record the motion of the body over time.

As participants attempt to “make sense” of unfamiliar language, their responses often reveal layers of association, imagination, and cultural projection. In some cases, this includes stereotypical interpretations, for example, associating Hindi with Bollywood and translating this into recognisable dance-like gestures. These embodied responses become visible in the resulting light traces.

The work examines how the mind negotiates the unknown, how meaning is constructed without comprehension, and how cultural assumptions can shape physical expression. By shifting language from a cognitive to a sensory and spatial experience, the project positions the body as a mediator between sound, perception, and space.

Through an evolving archive of images, movements, and participant reflections, the research investigates the relationship between communication, emotions, and cultural interpretation.

In images (A, native English speaker) and (B, native Mandarin speaker), both students listened to the same language, Arabic. You can observe similarities in their responses, particularly in the fluidity of their body movements. This pattern was identified after the experiment.

In images (A, native English speaker) and (B, native Dutch speaker), both participants listened to the same language, Hindi. Their bodies translated Hindi into movements that differ from those observed with Arabic. This raises questions about how the power of language can influence bodily movement in space

This research-based experiment was presented at the 2024 Power by Space Symposium in Zwolle and the Hoop voor Gaza exhibition in Deventer in 2026. The results revealed variations in how participants responded to unfamiliar languages. For example, one autistic participant translated three different languages into a similar movement pattern, highlighting how different cognitive processes can shape embodied responses to language.