Participatory Translation: Collaborative Meaning-Making in the Multilingual Gallery – Case Studies from Puerto Rico in Print: The Posters of Lorenzo Homar at Poster House

In multilingual museum environments, translation is often relegated to a technical task of information transfer rather than being utilized as a pedagogical tool. This article proposes “participatory translation” as a collaborative framework that gradually shifts the authority of knowledge from the educator to the visitor. Drawing on sociocultural theories of learning (Vygotsky), the author examines how linguistic exchange can facilitate deeper engagement with visual culture. Through three case studies centered on the exhibition Puerto Rico in Print: The Posters of Lorenzo Homar at Poster House in New York City throughout 2025, the article demonstrates how collective decoding of Spanish and English text empowers visitors to negotiate cultural and historical meanings. By positioning the educator as a facilitator and the visitor as an active contributor, participatory translation fosters a dialogic environment where interpretation is co-constructed. The findings suggest that redistributing translation as a shared activity not only lowers barriers for multilingual audiences but also enriches the interpretive experience for all participants.