Choosing an Inspirational Statue

An exhibition of models shortlisted for the next Fourth Plinth statue in Trafalgar Square recently opened in the National Gallery. The public are invited to comment on the next commission to occupy the plinth. They can choose between the 5 models on show. 

The current occupant of Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth is David Shrigley's thumbs up statue 'Really Good'. I am uncomfortable with this statue. Hand signals do not always have the same meaning in other cultures and can even be offensive in other parts of the world. It should always be remembered that Trafalgar Square is a popular destination for people from all nationalities and ethnicities.

David Shrigley's statue on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square

The End by Heather Phillipson

Newspaper reports seen to date seem to focus on the enormous ice cream with a cherry on top, a drone and a huge fly. It's bright and eye-catching. It would appear that this is the National Gallery's favourite. It certainly has the best-lit position.

Visually the piece seems to fit with the environment. It's a contemporary artwork that evokes the upbeat, fun aspect of Trafalgar Square. It will look particularly good in summer when large crowds gather for events. 

The artist's suggestion of impending collapse doesn't work so well. Concerns about national security and invasion of privacy are very topical. Who does the artist intend us to understand as parasites? She doesn't stipulate. I fear that this could be problematic in the current Brexit climate.

Higher by Damian Ortega

Two other models do not appeal for other reasons. Huma Bhabha's model doesn't even have a name. Michael Rakowitz's recreation of an ancient Middle Eastern statue doesn't seem appropriate for the contemporary Fourth Plinth. 

Damian Ortega's Higher model did catch my eye (see photo at the top and right). The Mexican artist's proposal suggests impending collapse. The ladders are reaching for the sky. This model suggests social mobility to me - something our Prime Minister has expressed her concern about. 

The statue is built upon a VW van. That makes me think of the emissions scandal. I like the statue and would like to see it commissioned. I think it would look better on the South Bank. Or perhaps a spot should be found for it near the current or future American Embassy in support of the Mexican people and South America?

My actual choice for the Fourth Plinth would be the Raqs Media Collective's The Emperor's Old Clothes, although renamed and for reasons beyond their explanation. The artists intend it to invoke a statue that is a relic of the British Empire in Delhi's Coronation Park, India. Many Indians live and prosper in London today. Deep reflection on Britain's colonial past is perhaps overdue. I just wonder if the statue would be more appropriately placed in Westminster if that were its full meaning?

We are living in a time of great social and constitutional upheaval in Britain and the World. As opposed to merely thinking about the past, we should use the new Fourth Plinth statue to reflect on what sort of society we want in future. Maybe the reflection should be two-way? If India wants Britain to reflect on its colonial past, maybe Britain can ask India to reflect on how its treats woman in the present day? Trafalgar Square staged a major Women's March just last weekend.

When I saw the statue I thought of Charles Handy's book 'The Empty Raincoat'. I saw not what was missing, but asked myself what do we place inside the statue today? What sort of society and leadership do we want in future? Multiple themes are possible:

1. Reflection on colonialism
2. Women in society
3. Multicultural Londoners - feature a different Londoner every day?
4. Diversity in society 
5. Social mobility and education
6. Reflections on technology, security, intrusion, privacy and public spaces
7. The future of employment, pensions, healthcare, social care and leisure time
8. Reflections on sustainability and climate change against corporate concerns
9. Responsibilities towards other nations
10. What leadership qualities do we want? What should a leader's legacy be for us to want to build a future statue to them?

When I first saw this statue, it looked very uninspiring in the dark. I would propose lighting it up from the inside with different colours - rainbow colours too - to inspire people to think about the future they would like to see.

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in global marketing.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

French v. British Cultural Debate

The French Chamber of Great Britain's 5th cross-cultural debate took place at the French Ambassador's Residence in London in December 2016. The debate was sponsored by Airbus. It was both constructive and rich in content. The two speakers and the chair all have in depth knowledge of both French and British cultures.

Thinking differently

The debate quickly exposed different ways of thinking and reasoning between France and Britain. The French are more inclined towards abstract thinking; whereas the British are more interested practice than theory. The priority is that it must work for the British.

Dominic Grieve (left) and Yann Bonduelle (right) during the debate

Top-down French thinking is often misunderstood in Britain. The French need a philosophical 'framework' in which to work. The British like a more pragmatic approach; the French want everything well-defined within boundaries before moving ahead. The British don't even have a written Constitution, relying instead on precedents in Law. The French approach can end up with the perfect solution to a problem that has moved on in the meantime. Pros and cons emerged from both nations' approaches.

British politics is adversarial. French politics is conducted behind the scenes more. Ideas have value. The British do not like a public discussion of ideas. It is not regarded as a compliment to be considered an 'intellectual' in Britain.

Hybrid cultural approach

A hybrid approach was recommended when working with cross-cultural teams. The British like executive summaries. The French like to receive lots of information to consider first. The best approach is to give the British the 3 bullet points that they want first and move onto the framework required by other nationalities. Then have the debate.

Cultural debate evening at the French Ambassador's Residence

Education systems

The roots of the different French and British approaches trace back to our respective education systems. The French approach is to examine a concept to find its flaws. If it proves valid, it will be adopted. The British attitude is more inclined to 'get on with it'. The result can be that the British don't think through the consequences in 4-5 years' time. The British approach can therefore appear amateurish to the Germans and French.

The British education system has the upper hand when it comes to positive encouragement. It leads to a greater inclination to risk-taking in later life. The French system encourages pupils to conform. This makes it easier for French schools to rank pupils; whereas in Britain there is greater encouragement to find your 'sweet spot' and bolster self-confidence. A French lycée is competitive and critical with more negative reinforcement. The British system is seen as better at encouraging team-working from a young age.

Public v. State Education

The discussion moved on to discuss the differences between public and state education in Britain, as well as the perceived advantages of a very structured curriculum. Secondary schools in Britain may leave pupils with huge areas of 'ignorance' by contrast with the French system. It was felt that the French elite were well-educated.

Education v. Experience

Silicon Valley with its encouragement of out-of-the-box thinking and risk appetite received much admiration. This lead on to a discussion on preferences for experience over education in the UK and US. The French and Germans rank education more highly than experience. 

Education is not so essential for career progress in Britain and the UK. It is possible to find a 'side entrance'. Education becomes irrelevant once you have the experience. PwC abandoned the UCAS points system in its recruitment policy, as it was a huge predictor of social class. PwC now attracts a more diverse range of job applicants who are progressing very well and beyond expectations.

Handling disagreement

The debate moved on to discuss direct and indirect approaches to disagreements. An indirect British approach can appear hypocritical. Courteous disagreement is a skill taught in British public schools. The intention is to have reasoned disagreements without offending. The British have developed a wider vocabulary to handle such subtle nuances.

In the South East of England, there can be a reluctance to face a disagreement. Some people may even say  'yes' to avoid a disagreement. Head further north in Britain and you will know more clearly where you stand. Here, a disagreement may even appear aggressive. Mediterranean cultures expose raw emotions in disagreements.

By contrast, academic French has a set vocabulary designed to impart complex ideas quickly without verbosity. You can't cut off a German speaker in mid-sentence or you may miss the word at the end of the sentence that conveys the real meaning.

Meeting styles

The most important person comes into the room last in a meeting in France. In British meetings, the focus is to put everyone at their ease for the discussions to follow. The French approach makes it clear who holds power in the room. No discussions will start until the Head arrives. In Britain, this strategy is disapproved of and can be high risk. Time equals money for Brits and they aren't inclined to wait.

Risk appetite

Silicon Valley has a huge appetite for risk and tolerance if a strategy does not work out. It was considered that there is still some stigma in the UK, especially in the Media. The French need 'more of the frying pan' - early pressure with the security of a safety net to improve their risk appetite.

The chair asked both men which quality they would export from each culture to create Utopia. Suggestions were French 'joie de vivre and 'bonhomie' and the UK's informality and 'unbelievable aptitude to make a deal'.

In conclusion, it was noted how learning about one language and culture opens the door to many other cultures. Cultural awareness is important even without language skills. We need to build bridges between cultures and between classes.

One language opens the door to many more cultures

The French Chamber's Cross-cultural quiz evening to be held at PwC's offices on 23 February 2017.

Yann Bonduelle is a Partner and the UK Consulting Data Analytics Leader at PwC. His 150-strong UK team includes experts in Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). He has a PhD from Stanford University in Engineering Economic Systems and an Electrical Engineering degree from INSA, Rennes, France.  The Frenchman’s international career with 8 years in California and 20 years in London. It makes him an ideal speaker to discuss working practices across cultures. 

Dominic Grieve is the MP for Beaconsfield and a QC. He was the Attorney General for England and Wales and Advocate General for Northern Ireland from 2010-2014. He is  bilingual in French and English. He attended the French Lycée in London's South Kensington before studying history at Oxford University and Law in London. 

Peter Alfandary, Senior Vice-President of the Chamber chaired the session (see first right). Peter is Head of Reed Smith’s French Business Group and has been involved in cross-cultural relations for over 30 years. 

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in global marketing.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Photo credit:  Cross-cultural debate evening photos were taken by Joana Saramago. Other photo credits are noted in the properties tags for each photo.

Canary Wharf Winter Lights Festival

At the London Art Fair I heard that Europeans (especially the French) consider that the British art scene is somewhat conservative. On Sunday night I went to see the Winter Lights Festival in London's Canary Wharf. I was amazed at this very modern and innovative show. Armed with the downloaded map on my iPad, I toured around the various light artworks.

The first artwork that I saw was Bit.Fall. Words cascade down one by one from a Times Newspaper feed. I  saw 'France' fall in watery light and captured it on my Vimeo video below.

Angels of Freedom by Israel's Ove Collective was among the most popular sections of the walk. People queued enthusiastically to have their pictures taken with angel wings and a halo over their heads. I kept expecting to see Nicholas Cage sitting on top of one of the Canary Wharf Towers as in the film City of Angels.

There was also a long queue to go inside the huge, egg-shaped light installation. Ovo came from Belgium. (Again you can see it in action on my video below).

Some of the best light installation were in and around the Crossrail building. The American Water Wall and Danish Cathedral of Mirrors were highly innovative with unusual light displays and 'music'. Both are best enjoyed on the video.

The Crossrail Roof Gardens revealed yet more innovative works. There was even one made from recycled plastic bottles by schoolchildren with a British light artist.

Liter of Light by Mick Stephenson and schoolchildren

The most innovative works were inside the Crossrail Place building down on floor -3. I nearly missed them all as I couldn't initially work out where the entrance was. I'm glad that I persevered. These works are really best viewed on the video. A number of them were interactive, changing according to the actions of the people in the room.


Canary Wharf's Winter Lights Festival, London - January 2017 from Karen Andrews on Vimeo.

By far the most interesting, involved waiting in a long queue. It was a British/Australian interactive light sculpture. One man was asked to wear an EEG headset. The lights and music changed according to his brain waves and levels of concentration. I have put that section into its own separate video so that you can enjoy it in full, even if you don't get a chance to head to Crossrail Place at Canary Wharf in person. You can find further details on each light installation on the Canary Wharf website.

Judging by the enthusiasm of the crowds on a bitterly cold night in Canary Wharf, the British aren't so conservative after all in their art appreciation. Nor are British artists unwilling to experiment with new techniques.

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in global marketing.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Magical Lantern Festival 2017

It's always hard to beat the first time you see an amazing spectacle. This year's Chinese Lantern Festival seemed even bigger and grander. I had expected to see many of the same lanterns in advance. Not so. This is an almost entirely new lantern festival. The theme for this year's festival is 'Explore the Silk Road'.

What else is different? I really appreciated the explanations alongside each set of lanterns. They gave an insight into Chinese culture. Some of the symbols might otherwise have passed me by. For example, I learnt that the clouds in a lantern group of peonies, roses and magpies symbolise good luck and fortune. Butterfiles symbolise good fortune and best wishes. 

Bamboo in the hands of a panda means peace (right).

It was delightful to recognise some of the characters from the Chinese opera, The Peony Pavilion (below left). 


I also noted the Rooster lantern (right). The Chinese New Year starts on 28 January 2017 and ends on 15 February 2018. 2017 marks the Year of the Rooster. The Rooster is associated with good timekeeping.

The Houses of Parliament line the walk to the main entrance. I wouldn't have considered high-heeled shoes as depicting my culture. It was interesting to note how various European cultures blurred together. I suppose we have a similar tendency with Asian cultures. It's always interesting to be offered an different perspective on your own culture as well as learning about others. It challenges what you take for granted.

It was a bitterly cold night. You can see the ice in the water as you gaze at the reflections. 

The fires for toasting marshmallows at the halfway point offered a much appreciated chance to warm up.

Watch my video of the Magical Lantern Festival:

Magical Lantern Festival London from Karen Andrews on Vimeo.

According to knowledgeable visitors some of the Chinese wasn't quite right on the signs. There was the occasional, non-native awkwardness in the English. Did a British person translate and set the Chinese and a Chinese person the English? It in no way spoilt enjoyment of the evening. Visitors naturally want any translations to meet the same high standards as the spectacle.

I'm now looking forward to 2018 Magical Lantern Festival at London's Chiswick House. I hope that they include a shuttle service to and from the Underground next time.


Links to previous blogs:
2016 Chinese Lantern Festival
The Peony Pavilion

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in global marketing.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Ruislip on the Map

'Where is Ruislip?' This question has been raised so many times that I thought I had better answer it in a blog, especially for my international contacts. Ruislip is very accessible and is surprising close to many places you all know well. It is in the London Borough of Hillingdon with Heathrow airport just 15 minutes away by car. Hillingdon is the white area to the west on the map below.

ACCESSIBILITY

My nearest underground station is South Ruislip. This station is two stops before the end of the Central Line into central London. This gives me direct access to:

• Oxford Street shopping and businesses
• Soho's creative sector
• Holborn for the French Chamber of Great Britain
• Chancery Lane for the legal sector
• Liverpool Street and Bank for the City of London and the financial sector.

Underground Connections

Ruislip Manor and Ruislip Stations give access to both the Piccadilly and Metropolitan Lines. South Harrow via 114 bus is another option for the Piccadilly Line. 

This is an important connection for the French Institute, Imperial College London, a large French community and famous museums in South Kensington.

Railway Connections

South Ruislip also has access to Chiltern Mainline. This means that I have easy access to:

• Wembley Stadium and business park
• London's Marylebone station in around 20 minutes.
• Euston and King's Cross to change to tubes for mainline UK routes to the north of London
• Most importantly, Eurostar connections from St Pancras International Station to Paris, Brussels, Lille, Amsterdam, etc.
• The Chiltern Line was extended to Oxford in December 2016.

Accessibility will improve even further once Crossrail or the Elizabeth Line opens. Ruislip is also part of the planned route for HS2.

Road Connections

Ruislip offers easy access to a number of motorways:

• M40/A40 into Central London going east; Oxford and Birmingham heading north-west.
• M25 London's orbital motorway to Gatwick Airport.
• M4 corridor is the base for a number of IT companies heading towards Maidenhead (the Prime Minister's Constituency), Reading, Swindon, Bath, my native city of Bristol and Wales.
• M1 for Luton Airport and the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) at Milton Keynes.

Local Business Meetings

For local business meetings the Ramada London South Ruislip Hotel is within walking distance of South Ruislip Station and my home. Manor Farm and Winston Churchill Hall also offer conference and theatre facilities.

MEANING AND PRONUNCIATION

Ruislip’s name probably comes from Old English words for "rush" and "leap", meaning a place where the local river Pinn was narrow enough to jump across.

Ruislip is not pronounced as it looks. My apologies to non-native English speakers! 

[ˈraɪslɪp]

Pronounce the first 3 letters as you would the cereal crop 'Rye'. Audio

HISTORY

Ruislip dates back to Saxon times, when Manor Farm belonged to the landowner, Wlward Wit. Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, his land passed to a new Lord of the Manor, Ernulf de Hesdin.

Ruislip Manor Farm boasts a Motte and Bailey site protected for its archaelogical significance. 

Manor Farm House was built in 1508 and is still standing today. The lordship of Ruislip Manor passed to King's College Cambridge in 1451.

Ruislip Manor Farm House

LOCAL MPS

The local Member of Parliament (MP) for Uxbridge and South Ruislip is Boris Johnson. He is the former Mayor of London and is now the UK's Foreign Secretary. 

The MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner is Nick Hurd. He is the Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry within the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). He is the eldest son of Douglas Hurd, former Foreign Secretary under Margaret Thatcher and John Major.

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in global marketing.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Australian Impressionists: Glocalisation in art?

Snow was forecast in London. It was a good day to appreciate the light of the Australian Impressionists Exhibition inside the warm National Gallery. The exhibition features the work of Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder and John Russell.

9 by 5 Impressionism

I had no prior knowledge of Australian Impressionists. I greatly appreciated the audio guide and the 15-minute introductory film at the start. The audio guide explained the 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition of 1889. The artists painted on cigar box lids that were 9 by 5 inches. This artist-led exhibition created controversy. Critics were not impressed. Australians turned out in numbers to see what all the uproar was about for themselves.

Uniquely Australian

Arthur Streeton was undoubtedly the greater talent. His talent was already evident in his early twenties, before any French Impressionist or Whistler influence could have been possible. His work portrays recognisable Australian scenes as well as the unrelenting light.

Streeton’s Golden Summer had visited London before. It was shown at the Royal Academy in 1891. It won a Mention Honorable at the Paris Salon of 1892.

Three Sisters in Blue Mountains, Australia c. dinozzazer

Another huge Streeton landscape appeared alongside: Fire’s On (1891). It depicts the building of a railway tunnel in the Blue Mountains. The audio guide explained the story of the dead man being carried on a stretcher after a rock fall from an explosion. It captures how hazardous life was in Australia at the turn of the century.

The Australian Impressionists captured Australian life and energy as the country came of age. There was also a depiction of a heroic Melbourne fireman’s funeral. Tom Roberts’ The Break Away depicted the scene of a getaway by contrary sheep. The guide explained how the square frame captured the energy of the scene. No single focus conveys the chaos and spontaneity. They took inspiration from European artists and developed their own uniquely Australian approach to their country’s landscapes. Aborgines are noticeable by their complete absence.

Russell

The third section of the exhibition shows the work of John Russell. He went to France as a young man. He worked with and was influenced by many great artists of the time – especially Monet and Van Gogh. He even mentored Matisse. He used an unnatural colour palette and painted French landscapes in an expressionist style. Among his collection were paintings of Antibes and Brittany.

This begs the question as to whether Russell was an Australian artist at all. Should he be considered French? It’s an intriguing question in an age of even greater mobility and international influences.

Glocalisation in art?
Since my visit I recalled the glocalisation presentation at the University of Westminster's Translation and the Creative Industries Conference of October 2016. I suppose that Australian Impressionism is an example of glocalisation in art. The Australian artists were influenced by the French Impressionists, but then found their own uniquely Australian way to adapt it to their own landscapes and culture. Could Russell's work be an example of non-native translation in art? Somehow his work doesn't have the same expressive quality as the French or Australian artists painting their respective homelands.

The truly Australian paintings are the ones that stand out in this exhibition. They capture a new nation finding and expressing its unique identity.

Karen Andrews is a freelance French to English translator, transcreator, content writer and editor. She has a strong background in global marketing.

Email Karen for further information via karenanglicityen@gmail.com in French, German or English.

Bootsausstellung: Qualität übersetzt

English   Français

Die hochwertige Verarbeitung der Motorjachten auf der London Boat Show 2017 hat starken Eindruck auf mich gemacht. Die Hersteller scheinen akribisch auf jedes kleinste Detail zu achten. Alles erweckt den Eindruck höchster Qualität, innen ebenso wie außen. Sämtliche Oberflächen erstrahlen in edlem Glanz. Gibt es Ähnlichkeiten zwischen Bootsindustrie und Übersetzungsbranche?

Übersetzer erleben ständig den Druck, eine immer bessere Qualität immer schneller liefern zu sollen. Mein Blick fiel auf eine Warnung der britischen Seenotrettungsorganisation RNLI (National Lifeboat Institution):

Reflexion und Risiko

Probleme? Werfen Sie den Anker, dann haben Sie Zeit zum Nachdenken

Die RNLI kennt sich mit Fragen der Sicherheit aus. Wer den Anker wirft, kann in Ruhe über ein Problem nachdenken. Panik vergrößert die Schwierigkeiten nur. 

Auch ein Übersetzer braucht Zeit zum Nachdenken. Wird ein Text auf Druck des Kunden im Eiltempo und ohne Zeit zur Reflexion übersetzt, oder verwendet der Kunde gar eine unbearbeitete maschinelle Übersetzung, kann er leicht in stürmische See geraten.

Die RNLI rät allen, die Gefahren zu kennen und die See zu respektieren.

Übersetzer informieren Kunden über  sprachliche Risiken und raten ihnen, kulturelle Unterschiede zu respektieren.

Sicherheit und Risikoprävention 

Die Sicherheitsausrüstung, die auf der Messe ausgestellt war, veranschaulicht die große Bedeutung des Themas Sicherheit für die Bootsbranche. Ich sah Rettungsinseln und eine Riesenauswahl an Schwimmwesten. 

Leuchtsignale sind in Notsituationen wichtig. Gute Übersetzer stellen Fragen, um auf mögliche Probleme hinzuweisen und Risiken vorzubeugen. Die Sicherheitsausrüstung eines Übersetzers sind seine Qualitätskontrollen. Es ist nie ratsam, bei solchen „Sicherheitschecks“ Kompromisse zu machen.

Die Richtung muss stimmen – und die Qualität

Um auf See den richtigen Kurs zu finden, bedarf es zuverlässiger Karten. Auf die Technik ist nicht immer Verlass. Bei Übersetzungen ist es genauso. 

Ein Bootshersteller braucht auch erstklassiges Marketing-Material und qualitativ hochwertige Texte, will er sich gegen die vielen Wettbewerber durchsetzen. Die Karte mit den viel befahrenen Schifffahrtsstraßen erinnert daran, wie wichtig eine überzeugende, gut übersetzte oder durch Transkreation neu entstandene Werbeaussage ist.

Ein Kapitän, der sein Handwerk versteht 

Die Bootsbranche weiß um die Bedeutung der Kommunikation auf See. Ein gut ausgebildeter, erfahrener und professioneller Kapitän schützt Sie vor Gefahren. 

Ein professioneller Übersetzer leitet Sie durch die unbekannten Gewässer einer fremden Sprache. Ohne günstige Winde oder eine funktionierende Maschine fährt ein Schiff nirgendwohin. Genau wie Ihr Kapitän benötigt auch Ihr Übersetzer klare Auskünfte von Ihnen, damit er Sie ans gewünschte Ziel bringen kann.

Eine hochwertige Jacht verdient es, dass auch die zugehörige Dokumentation erstklassig ist. 

Marketing-Übersetzungen von hoher Qualität sind eine wichtige Etappe auf dem Weg zum Verkaufserfolg.

Karen Andrews ist freiberufliche Übersetzerin (Französisch-Englisch), Spezialistin für Transkreation, Autorin und Redakteurin. Sie besitzt langjährige internationale Marketing-Erfahrung.

Für weitere Informationen schreiben Sie bitte auf Französisch, Deutsch oder Englisch an Karen Andrews (karenanglicityen@gmail.com).