pone la sua situazione esistenziale come situazione di libertà.
English translation: positions his state of existence as one of freedom
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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Italian term or phrase:
pone la sua situazione esistenziale come situazione di libertà.
English translation:
positions his state of existence as one of freedom
The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2012-01-14 16:54:10 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
Italian to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Art, Arts & Crafts, Painting
Italian term or phrase:pone la sua situazione esistenziale come situazione di libertà.
From an interview of the Apulian artist Michele Zaza (not to be confused with the camorrista of the same name).
Zaza says: "Tutto ruotava intorno alla dissacrazione e negazione dei miti imperanti, nonché sulla loro sostituzione con una nuova mitologia conforme alle esigenze di rinnovamento. *** L’artista pone la sua situazione esistenziale come situazione di libertà. *** In questo contesto critico-creativo il mio lavoro acquisisce una sua riconoscibilità e peculiarità non assimilabile a correnti o etichette in atto, praticando una diversità identitaria, nell’ambito della condivisione ideologica."
He seems to be using the word "libertà" here in the sense of refusing all labels.
Of course I could translate it literally, but what would sound good here?
Explanation: I have a couple of ideas standing behind my suggestion.
First, to get away from possible associations of the word esistenziale/existential with existentialism, not least because such association would make the second half of the sentence redundant ("come situazione di libertà), I have switched the formulation slightly to "state of existence". (Besides, in Zanichelli, Devoto-Oli, the Oxford Dictionary of English and Merriam-Webster esistenziale/existential has a first meaning of simply having to do with existence, whereas the philosophical position appears in all four sources in a secondary or even third-place, tertiary position - so I am emphasizing the first definition in my suggestion for the translation.)
Second, I think it is important to emphasis the constructed aspect of the stated position of freedom, or rather that it is an intentional, deliberate stance to view one's state of being in this way.
I would add that it seems that the artist also seems, from this short snippet, not to be describing his own point of view but rather that of the typical contemporary artist, from which he is distinguishing himself. If it is correct that the sentence we are helping with is Zaza's description of his typical peer and not himself, I would consider throwing in a his/her, as in "positions his/her state of existence as one of freedom", to neutralize the gender.
I will be interested to here more about how you approach this!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2012-01-10 20:05:23 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
...and now for my Mannaggia! moment: I meant to write 'hear' not 'here'!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2012-01-10 20:18:21 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
...and 'important to emphasize' not 'important to emphasis' (long day at the computer I guess...).
(learning about art teaching English in and translating for an art foundation -modern art - in Milan) on getting inside the head of the author and interpreting from his cultural viewpoint. Obviously, I based this on the cultural stereotypes prevalent in Milan: the wealthy benevolent mecenate, the academically brilliant art critic (mentor) and the romantic and charismatic artist.
Actually when I wrote that artists are expected to be critically aware I was writing from the perspective of my own post-bac training and experience as a studio artist as well as training and experience as a critic ... in addition to my point of view as a translator who works on contemporary artists and art. Those are some of the lenses through which I have been looking this text and our discussion. Not to say I haven't encountered what you describe!
Artists are expected to be critically aware. There is a gap between what may be expected of them and what you can expect of them. Knowing and having translated for many art critics in Milan and also artists (also taught them English), academically they are poles apart in terms of level generally speaking. If you can't face Greek at the liceo, then mummy and daddy might let you go to art school and who knows then to Brera (I thinking of somebody who now teaches there), while the art critics are the academic crème della crème. Obviously this is a generalisation.
Hi Anthony, I do think it works, with posit taking the meaning of 'putting into position' or 'placing'. But now I am curious to know more about how Zaza posits his existence.
I must say, Jim Sarah and Phil, that all of your remarks are very helpful, each edging towards something which sounds right - so having got some inspiration from you, and blending them together with a touch of seasoning from me, how does "The artist posits his existence in terms of freedom." sound? No "situation", no "existentialism", ultra-simple syntax and gets quite a lot of hits too https://www.google.com/search?q="posits his existence"
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Answers
15 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
says his existential condition as like one of freedom
Explanation: He is saying that his existential condition is like a condition/situation of freedom or liberty. Then he says you can't stick labels on me. All we can say here is that the latter is an aspect of the former, but their may be many, many more. The word "libertà" = libertè = liberty = freedom = no restrictions = no chains. I don't think you have much freedom to translate otherwise. I find the biggest problem with how to translate "pone".
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 16 mins (2012-01-10 18:51:21 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Mannaggia! "... is like one of ..."
James (Jim) Davis Italy Local time: 01:52 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 145
positions his state of existence as one of freedom
Explanation: I have a couple of ideas standing behind my suggestion.
First, to get away from possible associations of the word esistenziale/existential with existentialism, not least because such association would make the second half of the sentence redundant ("come situazione di libertà), I have switched the formulation slightly to "state of existence". (Besides, in Zanichelli, Devoto-Oli, the Oxford Dictionary of English and Merriam-Webster esistenziale/existential has a first meaning of simply having to do with existence, whereas the philosophical position appears in all four sources in a secondary or even third-place, tertiary position - so I am emphasizing the first definition in my suggestion for the translation.)
Second, I think it is important to emphasis the constructed aspect of the stated position of freedom, or rather that it is an intentional, deliberate stance to view one's state of being in this way.
I would add that it seems that the artist also seems, from this short snippet, not to be describing his own point of view but rather that of the typical contemporary artist, from which he is distinguishing himself. If it is correct that the sentence we are helping with is Zaza's description of his typical peer and not himself, I would consider throwing in a his/her, as in "positions his/her state of existence as one of freedom", to neutralize the gender.
I will be interested to here more about how you approach this!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2012-01-10 20:05:23 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
...and now for my Mannaggia! moment: I meant to write 'hear' not 'here'!
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2012-01-10 20:18:21 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
...and 'important to emphasize' not 'important to emphasis' (long day at the computer I guess...).
Sarah Elizabeth Cree Italy Local time: 01:52 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
Thanks again everyone. Points to Sarah for helping me to come across "posits"
The translation workplace 
