A thorough training in semiotics, philosophy, and communication define my professional profile. In the course of my academic career, my research interests centered around the field of culture, cognition, and communication with a specific focus on strategies of deception in human interactions. In my work, I addressed a previously neglected topic such as the semiotics of lying. My doctoral dissertation focuses on the theories of the sign and signification in Augustine of Hippo. Address: Department of Semiotics
University of Tartu, Jakobi 2, Tartu 50410
Estonia
Faces always tell a story. Medicine men and curanderos of Latin America think that people without... more Faces always tell a story. Medicine men and curanderos of Latin America think that people without wrinkles have no personal history. Their faces are like blank spots. They are, therefore, illegible because they have no meaning. The face of a baby is yet to be written as it is wrinkles-less, whilst the face of an adult is a wrinkled face, which shows signs of time. Whilst traditional medicine has gener- ally assigned a positive value to wrinkles-the value of time, experience, unique- ness-modern conceptions of the face somewhat challenge this view. The history of physiognomy is rich of examples that assign to facial wrinkles a pivotal role in face readings. Girolamo Cardano, for instance, in his Metoscopia, sets out an en- tire system for physiognomic reading based on astrology and divination that was centred around the frontal area of the face, leaving all the rest aside. J. Taxil, C. Spontone, F. Finella and many others argued pretty much the same. George Li- chtenberg, who is usually and erroneously thought of as being an anti-physiogno- mist, thought that the face is like a message board onto which the signs of times are displayed. Lichtenberg not only thought that signs of time are visible and can be read in people’s faces, but he asked whether there an influence of external events and circumstances–the environment–on people’s faces. He suggested that a wrinkle can become a fixed facial trait by means of repetition, as if the repeated facial expression can with time become a fixed trait, thus positing a link between dynamic and static facial traits. Today the paradigm of physiognomy has lost its grip and new cultural norms have emerged in order to regulate the canons of beauty and social appearance. Whilst wrinkles are the natural history of change displayed on one’s faces, wrinkles in other contexts are thought of as traces that should, instead, be removed, masked, altered or hidden away. This has to do with cultural norms of beauty and attractiveness that convey the idea that human faces are better and more attractive when the face is rather plain and young.
This article attempts to reconcile the semiotic model of ostension with the markedly different fo... more This article attempts to reconcile the semiotic model of ostension with the markedly different folkloristic use of the term. In semiotics, as well as linguistics and philosophy, ostension may be glossed as showing, rather than telling. Yet in the field of folkloristics, most invocations of ostension have regarded it as a kind of interaction with traditional narratives. Despite the significant differences between these types of ostension, we suggest that both have at their heart a concern with res ipsa, the thing itself. We first discuss the historical breadth of the concept of ostension, before presenting a simple set of ostensive types, and one "ostensive context," building on existing scholarship on ostension. The categorical reorientation we propose here is important for several reasons. The concept of ostension in all its inflected forms pushes scholars to consider communication beyond the limits of language and into an ontological consideration of how communication and meaning can operate in the network of "things" and "objects" (rather than signs). For this reason, it also stretches the limits of semiotics, which generally deals with signs and semiosis (the action of signs). Reimagining the relationship of semiotic and folkloric ostension along these lines refocuses our attention on the communicative process that is at the heart of the earliest formulations of ostension itself. More broadly, ostension impacts cultural norms surrounding appropriate modes of communication (e.g., speaking aloud versus silently gesturing); verbal storytelling and its relationship to embodied experience; and perhaps most significantly in the 21st century, belief formation and the notion of evidentiary weight.
The Hybrid Face Paradoxes of the Visage in the Digital Era, edited by Massimo Leone, Routledge, 2023
What do aliens look like? Do they have a face? This chapter is an exploration of ‘imaginary faces... more What do aliens look like? Do they have a face? This chapter is an exploration of ‘imaginary faces’ by unpacking a plethora of sources, from media studies to conspiracy theories, including cultural anthropology, as well as semiotic theory (sign-based theories of semiosis). The topos of the alien, thought of as a form of extraterrestrial life, has a long pedigree and an enigmatic status. This is a very complex and controversial subject, almost without limit. Today, the archetype of the alien has seen a reemergence through the widespread use of digital media and the massive proliferation of “conspiracy theories”. Such matters are at the forefront of discussion, arousing interest among experts and ordinary people alike. In some of these theories, the existence of extraterrestrial entities is supported, and the present, past, and future role of alleged “alien races” in the evolution of human beings is discussed. These accounts pay attention to the outward characteristics of extraterrestrials and their physical appearance, including facial features, to identify them and distinguish one from the other. We could, therefore, speak of a phenomenology of the alien which is traceable in contemporary conspiracy discourse at a crossroads between ufology, alternative history, anthropology of aliens, and personal accounts of “abduction experiences”.
"Year in Review" for 2022, published in both Sign Systems Studies (in English) and Semiotica (in ... more "Year in Review" for 2022, published in both Sign Systems Studies (in English) and Semiotica (in French, by translation).
Indice del numero 2/2023 di Versus Quaderni di studi semiotici, luglio-dicembre "Verso una semiot... more Indice del numero 2/2023 di Versus Quaderni di studi semiotici, luglio-dicembre "Verso una semiotica della manipolazione", a cura di Remo Gramigna e Alessandra Pozzo
Introduction to the special issue, Re-Thinking Juri Lotman in the Twenty-First Century, Lexia 39... more Introduction to the special issue, Re-Thinking Juri Lotman in the Twenty-First Century, Lexia 39-40.
Anyone wishing to explore the universe of contemporary semiotics will necessarily have to reckon with the founding father of the Tartu and Moscow school of semiotics, Juri M. Lotman. A specialist in modern Russian literature, comparatist and philologist, impeccable archival researcher, bril- liant speaker and prolific writer, Lotman laid the foundations of contemporary semiotics, inaugurating the strand of research focused on the typological study of cultures, the semiotics of culture. Lotman’s original contributions are also appreciable outside the boundaries of semiotics itself, testifying to the multifaceted nature of his thought. On the occasion of the centenary of Juri Lotman’s birth, Lexia dedicates a special issue to this internationally renowned scholar. The legacy of Juri Lotman in the 21st century and the theoretical challenge it represents for the future generations of semioticians constitute the main subject of this volume.
Semiotica e Intelligenza Artificiale. I saggi di Lexia., 2023
I deepfakes sono video e/o audio che sono stati realizzati e manipolati attraverso tecniche di a... more I deepfakes sono video e/o audio che sono stati realizzati e manipolati attraverso tecniche di apprendimento automatico, in particolare reti generative avversarie (GAN). A causa dell'o uscamento della distinzione tra probatorio e nzionale, reale e virtuale, nto e falso, queste nuove forme di media sintetici funzionano sia come potenziale forma di disinformazione e inganno che come forma inedita di creatività. Sebbene si tratti di un fenomeno oggi abbastanza di uso, la ricerca semiotica deve ancora mettersi al passo con gli studi in questo settore. I deepfakes, infatti, pongono s de ontologiche, gnoseologiche ed epistemologiche che meritano un attento scrutinio.
The journey inside Facebook's semiosphere revolves around the present-day controversy on how algo... more The journey inside Facebook's semiosphere revolves around the present-day controversy on how algorithms foster polarization and discord in one of the biggest and most popular social media platforms, namely, Facebook. The present work focuses on the so-called Facebook Files as a specific case study. By drawing on these investigations, the present study discusses what are the principles used by the Facebook algorithms in order to select a certain type of content and to direct attention to it, whilst generally discarding other types of content considered not enough engaging. By drawing on the perspective of the semiotics of culture, this paper makes an analogy between Ju. Lotman's model of the "semiosphere" and the Facebook's digital semiosphere with the goal of unpacking how the selection, diffusion, and suppression of online content is geared towards the polarization of ideas.
Lexia. Rivista di semiotica 39-40. Special Issue Re-thinking Juri Lotman in the Twenty-First Century , 2022
By drawing on the work of Ju. Lotman and A. Piatigorsky, the pres- ent study examines two key con... more By drawing on the work of Ju. Lotman and A. Piatigorsky, the pres- ent study examines two key concepts for the semiotics of culture: the notion of ‘cultural text’ and the cultural value of truthfulness ascribed to it. This work takes up the notion of cultural texts and traces the aspect of the mate- rial ‘fixation’ or ‘expression’ as one of the lynchpins of texts in Lotman and Piatigorsky’s thought. This study seeks to shed light on the function that the element of expression of texts plays in the context of a given culture. It argues that expression performs the function of the textual identity of truthfulness. Lotman’s idea that the surplus of expression is the distinguishing feature that separates cultural texts from nontexts as well as the value of truthfulness as- cribed to them is examined. The paper suggests that the element of the mate- rial expression of texts has been gradually lost and that today the difference between texts and nontexts is blurred.
International Journal of Psychoanalysis and Education: Subject, Action & Society, 2022
The notion of the boundary was a key aspect in Lotman's model of semiosphere and a heuristic conc... more The notion of the boundary was a key aspect in Lotman's model of semiosphere and a heuristic concept to make sense of dynamicity and change in socio-cultural systems, working as bilingual filters of translation. This paper seeks to shed light on the idea of crossing cultural boundaries by drawing a parallel between the mythological figure of the trickster and that of the alien or the outcast (izgoj), as discussed by Juri Lotman and Boris Uspenskij. The present study proposes a reading of F. Douglass' Narrative from the standpoint of the semiotics of culture, by an interpretation of Douglass as a boundary figure and as a cultural translator between two worlds.
The denial of the human face with all the paraphernalia of the techniques of cancellation, annulm... more The denial of the human face with all the paraphernalia of the techniques of cancellation, annulment and ostracization, must be fully included in the study of history of the human face. Faceless, disfigured faces and denied faces are as relevant as all the other representations of human faces. This study traces the conceptual and methodological importance of the study of a series of absences by showing the role of erasure and ostracization in the history of semiotics. The first section of this study focuses on the gnoseological role of the concept of ‘absence’ and ‘void’ in the history of semiotics. The second part, dwells on forgetfulness in cultural systems. The third applies this insight to the study of the erasure, disfigurement and denial of the human face by discussing damnatio memoriae as well as the contemporary ‘cancel culture’.
Truth is a very complex phenomenon that has exercised a fascination upon the human mind for mille... more Truth is a very complex phenomenon that has exercised a fascination upon the human mind for millennia. Discussion on truth and falsehood goes back to the earliest day of philosophy and has continued ever since. Semiotics, as an independent discipline, has shown some interest towards this subject, although the research conducted in this field has been scant. This paper focuses on one aspect of this issue for it discusses the semiotic conception of truth in Charles Morris' work. The reasons for this proposal are threefold. Firstly, in Sign, Language, and Behavior (1946), Morris tackles at length the problem of truth
The present study investigates and thematizes the interrelation between face masking, concealment... more The present study investigates and thematizes the interrelation between face masking, concealment, and deceit. It starts from the premise that the significance of disguise and deceit in the history of ideas should be reversed as these methods of the management of human appearance are not only regarded as coercive methods to manipulate and exert power over others but also as tactics skillfully used by the weak in order to outmaneuver those who are in a position of power. The study traces the matrix of simulation and dissimulation as forming the structure of deceit, it reviews some of the main theories of disguise within the field of semiotics, and it singles out two main dimensions of disguise, one geared upon dynamism and the other based on the static features of the face. This study suggests that classifications of masks elaborated in semiotic theory hitherto are useful but insufficient to encompass the full scope of such phenomenon. For this reason, the study provides a new typology of masks.
Perceiving and recognizing others via their faces is of pivotal importance. The ability to percei... more Perceiving and recognizing others via their faces is of pivotal importance. The ability to perceive others in the environment-to discern between friends and foes, selves and others-as well as to detect and seek to predict their possible moves, plans, and intentions, is a set of skills that has proved to be essential in the evolutionary history of humankind. The aim of this study is to explore the subject of face recognition as a semiotic phenomenon. The scope of this inquiry is limited to face perception by the human species. The human face is analysed on the threshold between biological processes and cultural processes. We argue that the recognition of likenesses has a socio-cultural dimension that should not be overlooked. By drawing on Georg Lichtenberg's remarks on physiognomy, we discuss the critique of the semiotic bias, the association of ideas, and the mechanism of typification involved in face recognition. Face typification is discussed against the background of face recognition and face identification. We take them as three gradients of meaning that map out a network of relationships concerning different cognitive operations that are at stake when dealing with the recognition of faces.
Faces always tell a story. Medicine men and curanderos of Latin America think that people without... more Faces always tell a story. Medicine men and curanderos of Latin America think that people without wrinkles have no personal history. Their faces are like blank spots. They are, therefore, illegible because they have no meaning. The face of a baby is yet to be written as it is wrinkles-less, whilst the face of an adult is a wrinkled face, which shows signs of time. Whilst traditional medicine has gener- ally assigned a positive value to wrinkles-the value of time, experience, unique- ness-modern conceptions of the face somewhat challenge this view. The history of physiognomy is rich of examples that assign to facial wrinkles a pivotal role in face readings. Girolamo Cardano, for instance, in his Metoscopia, sets out an en- tire system for physiognomic reading based on astrology and divination that was centred around the frontal area of the face, leaving all the rest aside. J. Taxil, C. Spontone, F. Finella and many others argued pretty much the same. George Li- chtenberg, who is usually and erroneously thought of as being an anti-physiogno- mist, thought that the face is like a message board onto which the signs of times are displayed. Lichtenberg not only thought that signs of time are visible and can be read in people’s faces, but he asked whether there an influence of external events and circumstances–the environment–on people’s faces. He suggested that a wrinkle can become a fixed facial trait by means of repetition, as if the repeated facial expression can with time become a fixed trait, thus positing a link between dynamic and static facial traits. Today the paradigm of physiognomy has lost its grip and new cultural norms have emerged in order to regulate the canons of beauty and social appearance. Whilst wrinkles are the natural history of change displayed on one’s faces, wrinkles in other contexts are thought of as traces that should, instead, be removed, masked, altered or hidden away. This has to do with cultural norms of beauty and attractiveness that convey the idea that human faces are better and more attractive when the face is rather plain and young.
This article attempts to reconcile the semiotic model of ostension with the markedly different fo... more This article attempts to reconcile the semiotic model of ostension with the markedly different folkloristic use of the term. In semiotics, as well as linguistics and philosophy, ostension may be glossed as showing, rather than telling. Yet in the field of folkloristics, most invocations of ostension have regarded it as a kind of interaction with traditional narratives. Despite the significant differences between these types of ostension, we suggest that both have at their heart a concern with res ipsa, the thing itself. We first discuss the historical breadth of the concept of ostension, before presenting a simple set of ostensive types, and one "ostensive context," building on existing scholarship on ostension. The categorical reorientation we propose here is important for several reasons. The concept of ostension in all its inflected forms pushes scholars to consider communication beyond the limits of language and into an ontological consideration of how communication and meaning can operate in the network of "things" and "objects" (rather than signs). For this reason, it also stretches the limits of semiotics, which generally deals with signs and semiosis (the action of signs). Reimagining the relationship of semiotic and folkloric ostension along these lines refocuses our attention on the communicative process that is at the heart of the earliest formulations of ostension itself. More broadly, ostension impacts cultural norms surrounding appropriate modes of communication (e.g., speaking aloud versus silently gesturing); verbal storytelling and its relationship to embodied experience; and perhaps most significantly in the 21st century, belief formation and the notion of evidentiary weight.
The Hybrid Face Paradoxes of the Visage in the Digital Era, edited by Massimo Leone, Routledge, 2023
What do aliens look like? Do they have a face? This chapter is an exploration of ‘imaginary faces... more What do aliens look like? Do they have a face? This chapter is an exploration of ‘imaginary faces’ by unpacking a plethora of sources, from media studies to conspiracy theories, including cultural anthropology, as well as semiotic theory (sign-based theories of semiosis). The topos of the alien, thought of as a form of extraterrestrial life, has a long pedigree and an enigmatic status. This is a very complex and controversial subject, almost without limit. Today, the archetype of the alien has seen a reemergence through the widespread use of digital media and the massive proliferation of “conspiracy theories”. Such matters are at the forefront of discussion, arousing interest among experts and ordinary people alike. In some of these theories, the existence of extraterrestrial entities is supported, and the present, past, and future role of alleged “alien races” in the evolution of human beings is discussed. These accounts pay attention to the outward characteristics of extraterrestrials and their physical appearance, including facial features, to identify them and distinguish one from the other. We could, therefore, speak of a phenomenology of the alien which is traceable in contemporary conspiracy discourse at a crossroads between ufology, alternative history, anthropology of aliens, and personal accounts of “abduction experiences”.
"Year in Review" for 2022, published in both Sign Systems Studies (in English) and Semiotica (in ... more "Year in Review" for 2022, published in both Sign Systems Studies (in English) and Semiotica (in French, by translation).
Indice del numero 2/2023 di Versus Quaderni di studi semiotici, luglio-dicembre "Verso una semiot... more Indice del numero 2/2023 di Versus Quaderni di studi semiotici, luglio-dicembre "Verso una semiotica della manipolazione", a cura di Remo Gramigna e Alessandra Pozzo
Introduction to the special issue, Re-Thinking Juri Lotman in the Twenty-First Century, Lexia 39... more Introduction to the special issue, Re-Thinking Juri Lotman in the Twenty-First Century, Lexia 39-40.
Anyone wishing to explore the universe of contemporary semiotics will necessarily have to reckon with the founding father of the Tartu and Moscow school of semiotics, Juri M. Lotman. A specialist in modern Russian literature, comparatist and philologist, impeccable archival researcher, bril- liant speaker and prolific writer, Lotman laid the foundations of contemporary semiotics, inaugurating the strand of research focused on the typological study of cultures, the semiotics of culture. Lotman’s original contributions are also appreciable outside the boundaries of semiotics itself, testifying to the multifaceted nature of his thought. On the occasion of the centenary of Juri Lotman’s birth, Lexia dedicates a special issue to this internationally renowned scholar. The legacy of Juri Lotman in the 21st century and the theoretical challenge it represents for the future generations of semioticians constitute the main subject of this volume.
Semiotica e Intelligenza Artificiale. I saggi di Lexia., 2023
I deepfakes sono video e/o audio che sono stati realizzati e manipolati attraverso tecniche di a... more I deepfakes sono video e/o audio che sono stati realizzati e manipolati attraverso tecniche di apprendimento automatico, in particolare reti generative avversarie (GAN). A causa dell'o uscamento della distinzione tra probatorio e nzionale, reale e virtuale, nto e falso, queste nuove forme di media sintetici funzionano sia come potenziale forma di disinformazione e inganno che come forma inedita di creatività. Sebbene si tratti di un fenomeno oggi abbastanza di uso, la ricerca semiotica deve ancora mettersi al passo con gli studi in questo settore. I deepfakes, infatti, pongono s de ontologiche, gnoseologiche ed epistemologiche che meritano un attento scrutinio.
The journey inside Facebook's semiosphere revolves around the present-day controversy on how algo... more The journey inside Facebook's semiosphere revolves around the present-day controversy on how algorithms foster polarization and discord in one of the biggest and most popular social media platforms, namely, Facebook. The present work focuses on the so-called Facebook Files as a specific case study. By drawing on these investigations, the present study discusses what are the principles used by the Facebook algorithms in order to select a certain type of content and to direct attention to it, whilst generally discarding other types of content considered not enough engaging. By drawing on the perspective of the semiotics of culture, this paper makes an analogy between Ju. Lotman's model of the "semiosphere" and the Facebook's digital semiosphere with the goal of unpacking how the selection, diffusion, and suppression of online content is geared towards the polarization of ideas.
Lexia. Rivista di semiotica 39-40. Special Issue Re-thinking Juri Lotman in the Twenty-First Century , 2022
By drawing on the work of Ju. Lotman and A. Piatigorsky, the pres- ent study examines two key con... more By drawing on the work of Ju. Lotman and A. Piatigorsky, the pres- ent study examines two key concepts for the semiotics of culture: the notion of ‘cultural text’ and the cultural value of truthfulness ascribed to it. This work takes up the notion of cultural texts and traces the aspect of the mate- rial ‘fixation’ or ‘expression’ as one of the lynchpins of texts in Lotman and Piatigorsky’s thought. This study seeks to shed light on the function that the element of expression of texts plays in the context of a given culture. It argues that expression performs the function of the textual identity of truthfulness. Lotman’s idea that the surplus of expression is the distinguishing feature that separates cultural texts from nontexts as well as the value of truthfulness as- cribed to them is examined. The paper suggests that the element of the mate- rial expression of texts has been gradually lost and that today the difference between texts and nontexts is blurred.
International Journal of Psychoanalysis and Education: Subject, Action & Society, 2022
The notion of the boundary was a key aspect in Lotman's model of semiosphere and a heuristic conc... more The notion of the boundary was a key aspect in Lotman's model of semiosphere and a heuristic concept to make sense of dynamicity and change in socio-cultural systems, working as bilingual filters of translation. This paper seeks to shed light on the idea of crossing cultural boundaries by drawing a parallel between the mythological figure of the trickster and that of the alien or the outcast (izgoj), as discussed by Juri Lotman and Boris Uspenskij. The present study proposes a reading of F. Douglass' Narrative from the standpoint of the semiotics of culture, by an interpretation of Douglass as a boundary figure and as a cultural translator between two worlds.
The denial of the human face with all the paraphernalia of the techniques of cancellation, annulm... more The denial of the human face with all the paraphernalia of the techniques of cancellation, annulment and ostracization, must be fully included in the study of history of the human face. Faceless, disfigured faces and denied faces are as relevant as all the other representations of human faces. This study traces the conceptual and methodological importance of the study of a series of absences by showing the role of erasure and ostracization in the history of semiotics. The first section of this study focuses on the gnoseological role of the concept of ‘absence’ and ‘void’ in the history of semiotics. The second part, dwells on forgetfulness in cultural systems. The third applies this insight to the study of the erasure, disfigurement and denial of the human face by discussing damnatio memoriae as well as the contemporary ‘cancel culture’.
Truth is a very complex phenomenon that has exercised a fascination upon the human mind for mille... more Truth is a very complex phenomenon that has exercised a fascination upon the human mind for millennia. Discussion on truth and falsehood goes back to the earliest day of philosophy and has continued ever since. Semiotics, as an independent discipline, has shown some interest towards this subject, although the research conducted in this field has been scant. This paper focuses on one aspect of this issue for it discusses the semiotic conception of truth in Charles Morris' work. The reasons for this proposal are threefold. Firstly, in Sign, Language, and Behavior (1946), Morris tackles at length the problem of truth
The present study investigates and thematizes the interrelation between face masking, concealment... more The present study investigates and thematizes the interrelation between face masking, concealment, and deceit. It starts from the premise that the significance of disguise and deceit in the history of ideas should be reversed as these methods of the management of human appearance are not only regarded as coercive methods to manipulate and exert power over others but also as tactics skillfully used by the weak in order to outmaneuver those who are in a position of power. The study traces the matrix of simulation and dissimulation as forming the structure of deceit, it reviews some of the main theories of disguise within the field of semiotics, and it singles out two main dimensions of disguise, one geared upon dynamism and the other based on the static features of the face. This study suggests that classifications of masks elaborated in semiotic theory hitherto are useful but insufficient to encompass the full scope of such phenomenon. For this reason, the study provides a new typology of masks.
Perceiving and recognizing others via their faces is of pivotal importance. The ability to percei... more Perceiving and recognizing others via their faces is of pivotal importance. The ability to perceive others in the environment-to discern between friends and foes, selves and others-as well as to detect and seek to predict their possible moves, plans, and intentions, is a set of skills that has proved to be essential in the evolutionary history of humankind. The aim of this study is to explore the subject of face recognition as a semiotic phenomenon. The scope of this inquiry is limited to face perception by the human species. The human face is analysed on the threshold between biological processes and cultural processes. We argue that the recognition of likenesses has a socio-cultural dimension that should not be overlooked. By drawing on Georg Lichtenberg's remarks on physiognomy, we discuss the critique of the semiotic bias, the association of ideas, and the mechanism of typification involved in face recognition. Face typification is discussed against the background of face recognition and face identification. We take them as three gradients of meaning that map out a network of relationships concerning different cognitive operations that are at stake when dealing with the recognition of faces.
Gherlone, L., Gramigna, R. & Leone, M. 2022. Introduction. Lexia, 39-40, pp. 9-23. DOI: 10.53136/97912218042631. , 2022
Anyone wishing to explore the universe of contemporary semiotics will necessarily have to reckon ... more Anyone wishing to explore the universe of contemporary semiotics will necessarily have to reckon with the founding father of the Tartu and Moscow school of semiotics, Juri M. Lotman (1922-1993). A specialist in modern Russian literature, comparatist and philologist, impeccable archival researcher, brilliant speaker and prolific writer, Lotman laid the foundations of contemporary semiotics, inaugurating the strand of research focused on the typological study of cultures, the semiotics of culture. Lotman's original contributions are also appreciable outside the boundaries of semiotics itself, testifying to the multifaceted nature of his thought. On the occasion of the centenary of Juri Lotman's birth, Lexia dedicates a special issue to this internationally renowned scholar. The legacy of Juri Lotman in the 21 st century and the theoretical challenge it represents for the future generations of semioticians constitute the main subject of this volume. See the entire issue here: https://www.aracneeditrice.eu/it/pubblicazioni/lexia-rivista-di-semiotica-re-thinking-massimo-leone-laura-gherlone-remo-gramigna-9791221804263.html
In order to estimate the current situation of teaching materials available in the field of semiot... more In order to estimate the current situation of teaching materials available in the field of semiotics, we are providing a comparative overview and a worldwide bibliography of introductions and textbooks on general semiotics published within last 50 years, i.e. since the beginning of institutionalization of semiotics. In this category, we have found over 130 original books in 22 languages. Together with the translations of more than 20 of these titles, our bibliography includes publications in 32 languages. Comparing the authors, their theoretical backgrounds and the general frames of the discipline of semiotics in different decades since the 1960s makes it possible to describe a number of predominant tendencies. In the extensive bibliography thus compiled we also include separate lists for existing lexicons and readers of semiotics as additional material not covered in the main discussion. The publication frequency of new titles is growing, with a certain depression having occurred in the 1980s. A leading role of French, Russian and Italian works is demonstrated.
Understood as the simplest form of unmediated communication, ostension is a primary way of expres... more Understood as the simplest form of unmediated communication, ostension is a primary way of expressing meaning through co-presence. Ostension functions as a form of indexicality, pointing to the thing about which one wishes to communicate.
The fascination with the study of the human face is constant in the history of humanity. Whilst t... more The fascination with the study of the human face is constant in the history of humanity. Whilst the face is a visible element of the anatomy and appearance of the human species, it remains a quite enigmatic subject and very difficult to fathom. From ancient treatises on physiognomy to the introduction of automated face detection (Kosinki 2021) and AI face recognition systems in modern-day “cultures of surveillance” (Gates 2011), the face remains a subject of profound interest that cuts across a fan of disciplines, from evolutionary biology to artificial intelligence.
Special issue of _Sign Systems Studies_.
Guest editors: Remo GRAMIGNA, University of Turin and Ma... more Special issue of _Sign Systems Studies_. Guest editors: Remo GRAMIGNA, University of Turin and Massimo LEONE, Universities of Shanghai and Turin. Sign Systems Studies is the oldest journal in the history of semiotics, and one of the most prestigious ones. It is presently an open-access international journal devoted to semiotic research with a focus on the semiotics of culture (Tartu School) and living nature. It is published by the University of Tartu Press; it is listed in SCOPUS and Web of Science. It is edited by distinguished semioticians Kalevi Kull, Mihhail Lotman, Timo Maran, Silvi Salupere, Ene-Reet Soovik, and Peeter Torop. The special issue, to be published late 2020, is devoted to "The Cultures of the Face".
Anyone wishing to explore the universe of contemporary semiotics will necessarily have to reckon ... more Anyone wishing to explore the universe of contemporary semiotics will necessarily have to reckon with the founding father of the Tartu and Moscow school of semiotics, Juri M. Lotman (-). A specialist in modern Russian literature, comparatist and philologist, impeccable archival researcher, brilliant speaker and proli c writer, Lotman laid the foundations of contemporary semiotics, inaugurating the strand of research focused on the typological study of cultures, the semiotics of culture. Lotman's original contributions are also appreciable outside the boundaries of semiotics itself, testifying to the multifaceted nature of his thought. On the occasion of the centenary of Juri Lotman's birth, Lexia dedicates a special issue to this internationally renowned scholar. e legacy of Juri Lotman in the st century and the theoretical challenge it represents for the future generations of semioticians constitute the main subject of this volume.
Early comparative studies in academic scholarship on the meaning of the face show a dichotomy bet... more Early comparative studies in academic scholarship on the meaning of the face show a dichotomy between, on the one hand, physical anthropology and anthropometry and, on the other hand, cultural anthropology and ethnology. The former tends to privilege static measurements and determinism, the latter, dynamic observation and contextual interpretation. The former often yields to racial prejudice and even systematic racism, as well as to unethical research practices, whereas the latter rejects such views and methods and emphasizes the role of sociocultural context in the development of face types, their expressions, and the relative meanings, which, however, sometimes results in ideologically and aprioristically denying any impact of human biology on the meaning of the face. As regards the positivistic trend, Goldstein 1936 (an article on the age-related changes in the dimensions and form of the face) surveys the previous literature,
Una serie di studi semiotici sul ruolo del volto nelle teorie del complotto, specie durante la pa... more Una serie di studi semiotici sul ruolo del volto nelle teorie del complotto, specie durante la pandemia di COVID-19.
The aim of this study is to present, as far as possible, a general description of the theory of t... more The aim of this study is to present, as far as possible, a general description of the theory of the sign and signification in Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD), with a view to its evaluation and implications for the study of semiotics. Accurate studies for subject, discipline, and significance have not yet given an organic and systematic vision of Augustine’s theory of the sign. The underlying aspiration is that such an endeavour will prove to be beneficial to the scholars of Augustine’s thought as well as to those with a keen interest in the history of semiotics. The study uses Augustine’s own accounts to investigate and interpret the philosophical problem of the sign. The focus lies on the first decade of Augustine’s literary production. The De dialectica, is taken as the terminus ad quo of the study, and the De doctrina christiana is the terminus ad quem. The selected texts show an explicit engagement with poignant discussion on the nature and structure of the sign, the variety of signs and their uses. Although Augustine’s intention never was to establish a theory of meaning as an independent field of study, he largely employed a theory of signs. Thus, Augustine’s approach to signs is intrinsically meaningful.
Program Lotman's Seminar Brazil, October 2022.
"Semiotics of unpredictability"
October 26, 27 and... more Program Lotman's Seminar Brazil, October 2022. "Semiotics of unpredictability" October 26, 27 and 28, 2022 Online Conference
Does it have to be human to be credibile? Perception of avatar-delivered messages about COVID-19 ... more Does it have to be human to be credibile? Perception of avatar-delivered messages about COVID-19 hyigiene rules among young people
IV International Conference on Semiotics and Visual Communication, Cyprus University of Technolog... more IV International Conference on Semiotics and Visual Communication, Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus
The collection of articles in this issue of Versus on the semiotics of concealment proposes theo... more The collection of articles in this issue of Versus on the semiotics of concealment proposes theoretical reflections and some of their possible applications on the many facets of secret communication. The aim of these texts is to bring together a semiotic methodology, to enunciate the logic of decryption, to highlight some rhetoric of dissimulation and to offer an anthropological overview of secret communication. The resulting material is offered to the scientific community, which often finds itself unarmed in the face of new occurrences of concealment whose traditional patterns are difficult to identify. After a brief account of the current state of research and of the practice of concealment over time, the articles published below are presented.
Relazione – XXVI Convegno nazionale della Società di Filosofia del Linguaggio (SFL) Narrazioni, c... more Relazione – XXVI Convegno nazionale della Società di Filosofia del Linguaggio (SFL) Narrazioni, confabulazioni e cospirazioni (Narrations, Confabulations, and Conspiracies) 19 maggio; 26 maggio, 4 giugno 2021.
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Anyone wishing to explore the universe of contemporary semiotics will necessarily have to reckon with the founding father of the Tartu and Moscow school of semiotics, Juri M. Lotman. A specialist in modern Russian literature, comparatist and philologist, impeccable archival researcher, bril-
liant speaker and prolific writer, Lotman laid the foundations of contemporary semiotics, inaugurating the strand of research focused on the typological study of cultures, the semiotics of culture. Lotman’s original contributions are also appreciable outside the boundaries of semiotics itself, testifying to
the multifaceted nature of his thought. On the occasion of the centenary of Juri Lotman’s birth, Lexia dedicates a special issue to this internationally renowned scholar. The legacy of Juri Lotman in the 21st century and the theoretical challenge it represents for the future generations of semioticians constitute the main subject of this volume.
Anyone wishing to explore the universe of contemporary semiotics will necessarily have to reckon with the founding father of the Tartu and Moscow school of semiotics, Juri M. Lotman. A specialist in modern Russian literature, comparatist and philologist, impeccable archival researcher, bril-
liant speaker and prolific writer, Lotman laid the foundations of contemporary semiotics, inaugurating the strand of research focused on the typological study of cultures, the semiotics of culture. Lotman’s original contributions are also appreciable outside the boundaries of semiotics itself, testifying to
the multifaceted nature of his thought. On the occasion of the centenary of Juri Lotman’s birth, Lexia dedicates a special issue to this internationally renowned scholar. The legacy of Juri Lotman in the 21st century and the theoretical challenge it represents for the future generations of semioticians constitute the main subject of this volume.
Guest editors: Remo GRAMIGNA, University of Turin and Massimo LEONE, Universities of Shanghai and Turin. Sign Systems Studies is the oldest journal in the history of semiotics, and one of the most prestigious ones. It is presently an open-access international journal devoted to semiotic research with a focus on the semiotics of culture (Tartu School) and living nature. It is published by the University of Tartu Press; it is listed in SCOPUS and Web of Science. It is edited by distinguished semioticians Kalevi Kull, Mihhail Lotman, Timo Maran, Silvi Salupere, Ene-Reet Soovik, and Peeter Torop. The special issue, to be published late 2020, is devoted to "The Cultures of the Face".
"Semiotics of unpredictability"
October 26, 27 and 28, 2022
Online Conference