Representing and translating art speak in films and TV

The term “artspeak” was first popularised by art historian Robert Atkins (1990). According to those who are sceptic of the necessity and value of artspeak, its function has been little more than that of creating “a mystique surrounding the work of certain artists” (ibidem: ix). This suspicion towards the act of verbalising and conceptualising art is also reflected in the representation of artspeak in film and TV dialogue. This article offers some insights on the representation of artspeak in original and translated audiovisual dialogue focusing on a case study – the film Velvet Buzzshaw (2019) – in which the language of contemporary art has been believably represented.