The inspiration for this experiment originates from the Museum of the Future in Dubai, where the museum’s walls are adorned with intricate Arabic calligraphy. This creates a uniquely multidimensional linguistic space, blending visual and verbal elements. The engraved Arabic calligraphy not only serves as an aesthetic feature but also as a medium of cultural expression and communication. Given the museum’s international appeal, visitors from diverse linguistic backgrounds frequent the space, each bringing their own languages and interpretations.
This setting prompts an intriguing question: how does the presence of calligraphy on the walls influence the linguistic interactions among visitors? Specifically, it raises considerations about how the visual prominence of diverse languages might affect the linguistic choices of individuals, whether it encourages multilingual exchanges, fosters an appreciation for difference languages among non-speakers, or perhaps even impacts the way information is perceived and shared within the museum’s context.
In this experiment, participants are shown a series of images in one language while simultaneously listening to audio in a completely different language. The objective is to observe how this multisensory experience affects their perception and understanding of calligraphy.
