By Dr. Elad Giladi, Dept. of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, The University of Haifa egiladi@univ.haifa.ac.il

Language as Concept and Constraint

As I recently concluded the first semester of a course exploring the cultural and social dimensions of language—focusing particularly on the intricate interplay between Arabic and Hebrew—I found myself reflecting on the broader philosophical and artistic implications of linguistic boundaries. Language, as a system of meaning, is both an enabler of expression and a constraint of thought. The limits of language, as famously articulated by Ludwig Wittgenstein, raise profound questions about the nature of communication, interpretation, and the inexpressible. These very ideas find a striking visual and conceptual resonance in the work of Saudi artist Nasser Al Salem, whose exhibition The Edge of Language interrogates the material and metaphysical boundaries of linguistic expression.

This essay seeks to intertwine Wittgenstein’s philosophical insights on the limits of language with Al Salem’s artistic exploration of script, silence, and meaning. In doing so, it will also engage with the broader implications of language in the context of Arabic and Hebrew—two languages that are deeply entwined yet distinct, mutually reflective yet politically charged. By examining how Arabic and Hebrew serve as sites of convergence and conflict, I argue that language is not merely a neutral conduit for communication but a contested space where meaning, identity, and power are constantly negotiated.

Wittgenstein and the Limits of Language

Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, grappled with the boundaries of language in both his early and later works. His philosophical exploration of language’s limitations profoundly influenced 20th-century thought, evolving from a rigid logical framework to a more flexible understanding of linguistic meaning. In the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus (1921), he posited that language is a picture of reality, constrained by its inherent logical structure. His famous proposition— “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world”—suggests that what cannot be clearly articulated is essentially beyond meaningful thought. Consequently, this perspective positioned abstract realms such as ethics, aesthetics, and spirituality as lying outside the scope of propositional language, highlighting the inherent limitations of linguistic expression in capturing certain aspects of human experience.

Wittgenstein’s later work marked a significant shift in his approach to language. In Philosophical Investigations (1953), Wittgenstein shifted his focus from a rigid logical structure to the fluidity of linguistic use. He argued that meaning arises from language games—contextual practices that give words their function. This later view acknowledges the limitations of formal language while emphasizing the pragmatic and performative dimensions of expression.

These ideas resonate with artistic attempts to capture the ineffable, particularly in traditions where language itself becomes a visual and conceptual medium. In this sense, the work of Nasser Al Salem can be seen as an extension of Wittgenstein’s insights—an exploration of the thresholds between the expressible and the inexpressible, where language simultaneously reveals and conceals meaning.

Nasser Al Salem: The Edge of Language

Nasser Al Salem, a contemporary Saudi artist known for his conceptual calligraphy, pushes the boundaries of Arabic script beyond conventional legibility. His exhibition The Edge of Language plays on the duality of presence and absence, sound and silence, form and void. Al Salem’s work embodies the tension Wittgenstein describes: the effort to communicate something that ultimately escapes linguistic containment.

One of Al Salem’s recurring motifs is the transformation of Arabic script into abstract forms, where letters dissolve into patterns that retain their linguistic essence but evade direct reading. This visual paradox echoes Wittgenstein’s idea that meaning is not inherent in words alone but emerges through their use. By stretching language’s visual and material aspects, Al Salem exposes the fractures in linguistic representation—where words cease to function as conveyors of meaning and instead become objects of contemplation. One of Al Salem’s most striking works, Kul (2012), reconfigures the Arabic word for “everything” into a near-geometric abstraction. This visual paradox mirrors Wittgenstein’s argument that some aspects of meaning can only be shown, not said.

Al Salem’s work also engages with the mystical dimensions of Arabic, particularly within Islamic traditions, where divine names and Quranic verses are imbued with an inherent sacredness. In these contexts, language is not merely a tool for description but a conduit for transcendence—another notion that Wittgenstein, despite his analytical rigor, acknowledged in his reflections on the mystical. By rendering language at the edge of legibility, Al Salem invites the viewer to confront the limitations of linguistic representation and contemplate the tension between form and meaning.

Arabic, Hebrew, and the Politics of Linguistic Boundaries

The tension between what language can and cannot do is particularly salient in the relationship between Arabic and Hebrew. Both languages share Semitic roots, yet their historical trajectories and political associations have rendered them sites of both convergence and conflict. In my course, we examined how these languages serve as cultural markers, repositories of memory, and instruments of power.

In many ways, the dynamics between Arabic and Hebrew exemplify Wittgenstein’s idea that language is not a neutral system, but a practice embedded in life. Words do not merely describe reality; they shape it. The politics of language is evident in everyday life, where linguistic choices carry ideological weight. In the context of Israel and Palestine, language serves as both a bridge and a barrier. Whether in street signs, legal documents, or daily interactions, the presence (or absence) of Arabic and Hebrew in certain spaces signals broader power dynamics. Even the act of translation is fraught with asymmetries, where meanings are lost, transformed, or resisted.

Al Salem’s work, while rooted in Arabic, resonates with this broader discussion. His manipulation of script into near-illegibility can be seen as a metaphor for the silences, erasures, and negotiations inherent in language politics. Just as Wittgenstein suggested that some things can only be shown, not said, Al Salem’s art suggests that some linguistic experiences are better grasped visually rather than textually. His work challenges the notion of linguistic transparency, highlighting how language can obscure as much as it reveals.

Beyond the Limits

Both Wittgenstein and Al Salem challenge us to reconsider the nature of language—not as a transparent medium but as a domain of struggle, creativity, and limitation. Wittgenstein’s philosophy teaches us that language has edges beyond which lies the unsayable. Al Salem’s art visually articulates these edges, making the limits of language tangible. By engaging with both, we recognize that language is never merely about words; it is about power, identity, and the possibility (or impossibility) of dialogue.

At the intersection of Arabic and Hebrew, this realization is particularly urgent. The boundaries of language are not merely theoretical—they have real-world implications for communication, coexistence, and understanding. Just as Wittgenstein reminds us that “whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent,” Al Salem’s work compels us to see that within the silence of language’s edges, new forms of meaning emerge.