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Semiotics
Vesa Matteo Piludu
University of Helsinki, semiotic
Semiotics
 The term, which was spelled semeiotics (Greek: σημειωτικός,
semeiotikos, an interpreter of signs) was first used in English by
Henry Stubbes (1670, p. 75) in a very precise sense to denote the
branch of medical science relating to the interpretation of signs
 Plato and Aristotle both explored the relationship between signs and
the world, and Augustine considered the nature of the sign within a
conventional system.
 Umberto Eco, in his Semiotics and philosophy of language, has
argued that semiotic theories are implicit in the work of most,
perhaps all, major thinkers.
 Semiotics, semiotic studies, or semiology is the study of sign
processes (semiosis), or signification and communication, signs and
symbols, both individually and grouped into sign systems.
 It includes the study of how meaning is constructed and understood.
Semantics and Syntactics
 Semantics: Relation between signs and the things they refer to, their
denotata. (icon and meaning)
 Syntactics: Relation of signs to each other in formal structures
(systems of symbols, web of signification)
Meaning process
Pierce Triadic system and Saussure Dyadic system
Signs Shop
Anthroposemiotics, Sociosemiotics and
Biosemiotics
 This discipline is frequently seen as having important anthropological
dimensions (humanistic)
 But … it is relevant also for social studies (communication, sociology,
political studies) …
 And the communication of information in living organisms is covered
in biosemiotics or zoosemiosis
Semiotics in Europe
 In Italy … semiotics is strongly connected to language,
communication, cultural and religious studies (Umberto Eco, Omar
Calabrese, Augusto Ponzio, Massimo Leone … and many others)
 In Bulgaria semiotics is linked with advertizing studies (New
Bulgarian University os Sofia, Kristian Bankov)
 In Lithuania there is the relevant Greimas Institute
 Estonia (Tartu) is an important center for Cultural Semiotic (Juri
Lotman) and Biosemiotics (Kalevi Kull)
Semiotics in Helsinki
 In Helsinki semiotics is strongly connected with art research and
cultural studies and with logic and philosophy
 Musical Semiotic (Eero Tarasti)
 Existential Semiotics (Eero Tarasti)
 Semiotic of Arts and Literature (Harri Veivo, Massimo Berruti, Tomi
Huttunen)
 Methodology and communication (Merja Bauters)
 Philosophical Semiotic
 (Pierce studies, Mats Bergman, Ahti-Veikko Pietarinen)
 Cultural Semiotics (Tomi Huttunen, Vesa Matteo Piludu)
 Dario Martinelli (zoosemiotics)
Semiotic in Finland
 Rovaniemi (Media)
 Tampere (Theatre)
 Turku
 Imatra
 Network University of Semiotics
Virastokatu 1 (Cultural Centre)
55100 IMATRA
tel. +358 20 617 6700, +358 20 617 6639
 http://www.semiotics.fi/en/
Semiotic communication
 Social and cultural Contexts
 Adresser (sender of message)
 Message (communicative act based on a system of signs and on a
code)
 Code (language, visual, musical code…)
 Sign or signs
 Meaning of the sign
 Adressee (receiver of the message)
 Communication I – he/she, I-I (self reflection), we-they (ethnic),
mass communication (media)
 The communication defines not only the signs and their role, but also
the identities of the adresser and the adressee (Lotman, Bachtin)
Roman Jakobson and art semiotics
 Semiotics, conceived of by Roman Jakobson, has 6 components:
1. Addressor (artist)
2. Addressee (viewer)
3. Message
4. Code
5. Medium of communication
6. Context
Semiosphere - artistic production in a
communicative frameworkd
Cultural contest (Finnish National romanticism)
Artistic contest (Musical romanticism)
Sender (Sibelius)
Message (Kullervo)
Web of symbols
(Myths, vocal music
symphonic music)
Code (Music)
(Symphonic Poem)
Receivers
(public,
nationalists,
commissioners,
Finnish-Swedish,
scholars, other
musicians)
Reaction
(positive
indifferent
negative
protest)
Juri Lotman and the resistance of symbols
Difference between the symbol (signifier) and the meaning of the
symbol (significans)
 Certain symbols have an enormous capacity of resistance
(conservative power of symbols)
 The same symbol can have different meanings in different cultural
contests (cultural relativism)
 If the cultural contest changes, the interpretation of the symbol could
changes (symbolic dynamic)
Myths and arts
 Symbols and Myths are very relevant for artists
 And are central concepts in semiotics
 Semiotics of art could analyze the relevance of symbols and myths in
different artistic works