“Pravda” in the Museum: Zoya Cherkassky’s exhibition as a case of cultural (self) translation

This article links, and elaborates on, several concepts related to translation and Translation Studies through the analysis of plurisemiotic artworks, integrating images and words. Translation Studies also provides the framework for analysing the various modes in which these works are received by the audience and artistic establishment. The main concepts referred to are ‘intrasemiotic translation’, ‘self-translation’ and ‘cultural translation’. The latter two are combined to create the metaphor ‘cultural (self) translation’. The works analysed, which form part of what we call ‘a self-project’, were featured in the exhibition “Pravda” (meaning ‘truth’ in Russian) – a collection of thematically interrelated paintings by the Israeli artist Zoya Cherkassky, shown at The Israel Museum, Jerusalem in 2018 – and included in the exhibition catalogue. Beyond offering insights into Cherkassky’s works, the multifold contribution of this article includes: linking the concepts of ‘intrasemiotic translation’ and ‘self-translation’ to plurisemiotic practices; expanding the concept of ‘self-translation’ and placing it in the context of cultural translation; and employing the latter concept in a discussion about the artist’s reception in an immigrant society characterised by constant negotiation regarding the diverse identities of its members.