“Cryptophasia” is the working title of a language machine installation that I’ve been working on. Cryptophasia, according to Wikipedia, is “a peculiar phenomenon of a language developed by twins (identical or fraternal) that only the two children could understand. The word has its roots from crypto meaning secret and phasia meaning speech disorder. Most linguists associate cryptophasia with idioglossia, which is literally the same, but cryptophasia also includes mirrored actions like twin-walk and identical mannerisms. Little is known about cryptophasia.”
The installation consists of two motorized drafting machine arms that write to each other, emerging their own glyphic writing system as they do so. It is a continuation of my “language machines” research/art.
These are closeups of the joints of the drafting machine arm:
