Semiofest

When it comes to making sense of our contemporary moment, the theorizing of the University of Tartu’s Juri Lotman (1922–1993) remains highly relevant. Session host Maarja Ojamaa has invited Max Matus, Maria Papanthymou, and Auli Viidalepp to discuss how Lotman’s key concepts — including the “semiosphere,” cultural “unpredictability,” and the “growth of meaning” — can inform applied semiotic work around branding, public education, and artificial intelligence. The session happens on Friday 29th November at 2pm UK time as Semiofest Session No. 31. Get tickets here by donation only: https://lnkd.in/ePP8gGPP #semiotics #lotman

The time has come to think of our next event in 2026. So we invite all local teams passionate about applied semiotics to send in your bids to host Semiofest 2026. Back to basics – why host Semiofest in your market?😎 If you've only been to Semiofest Sessions, why not come to a face to face event? If you've been to Semiofest before you'll be excited for the next one. We are excited to announce that we are extending the deadline for bids to host Semiofest 2026 to end of day Friday 8th November 2024 so you have more time to put together bids. Here are five great reasons to consider it: 1. To promote semiotics. You love semiotics, you believe in it…and you want to help propagate its value.✅ 2. To raise your profile. Semiofest is a great brand to add to your professional and personal profile.✅ 3. To devise a fresh event with your unique signature for a global community of professionals.✅ 4. To widen your professional network – enrich your network with some global connections.✅ 5. To show off your hometown. You live in a wonderful place/city – so showcase its ‘signifiers’ to the world!✅ We cannot promise a financial reward to hosting. As a not-for-profit venture, we are run on a volunteer basis. However, we can promise a stimulating experience, collaborative working and the satisfaction of a brilliant event. All the details are up on our website, www.semiofest.com. Link is: https://lnkd.in/eBA4nUJt We look forward to receiving your bids. Chris, Lucia, Hamsini The Semiofest Board #semiotics #conference #2026 #community #love #passion

Our October #Semiofest Session will be ‘ON COLOUR’. Lucia Laurent-Neva and Joshua Glenn have invited colour experts and theorists from outside our own discipline to discuss how colours are understood, classified, and employed. Dr Alexandra Loske FSA, Pete Thomas, and James Quail will share insights on how colour systems reflect evolving social and cultural dynamics, how the ‘materiality' of colour connects with broader historical contexts and design practices, the cultural biases and commercial interests involved in colour naming, and more. PS: Bring paper and writing/colouring instruments to this interactive session! The session will take place on Zoom at 2 pm UK time on Friday, 18th October. For tickets - https://lnkd.in/e-VqsYnf #semiotics #colour #coloursemiotics #color #colorsemiotics #design #designsemiotics #semiofest #semiofestsessions

After a long wait, the Porto 2024 Wrap Up film is finally out. If you didn't get a chance to come to Porto you'll get an excellent flavour of the conference by watching the film. If you did come to Porto then you can relive some of the memories indulge your nostalgia & give yourself semiosaudade🇵🇹😅 Porto 2024 was such a great success. Fun was had by all as you can see in the film. The time has come to think of our next event in 2026. We invite all teams passionate about applied semiotics to send in your bids to host Semiofest 2026. Back to basics – why host Semiofest in your market?😎 Here are five good reasons to consider it: 1. To promote semiotics. You love semiotics, you believe in it…and you want to help propagate its value.✅ 2. To raise your profile. Semiofest is a great brand to add to your professional and personal profile.✅ 3. To devise a fresh event with your unique signature for a global community of professionals.✅ 4. To widen your professional network – enrich your network with some global connections.✅ 5. To show off your hometown. You live in a wonderful place/city – so showcase its ‘signifiers’ to the world!✅ We cannot promise a financial reward to hosting. As a not-for-profit venture, we are run on a volunteer basis. However, we can promise a stimulating experience, collaborative working and the satisfaction of a brilliant event. All the details are up on our website, www.semiofest.com. Link is: https://lnkd.in/eBA4nUJt We look forward to receiving your bids. Chris, Lucia, Hamsini The Semiofest Board #semiotics #conference #2026 #community #love #passion

Porto 2024 was such a great success. Fun was had by all as you can see in the photo. The time has come to think of our next event in 2026. We invite all teams passionate about applied semiotics to send in your bids to host Semiofest 2026. Back to basics – why host Semiofest in your market?😎 Here are five good reasons to consider it: 1. To promote semiotics. You love semiotics, you believe in it…and you want to help propagate its value.✅ 2. To raise your profile. Semiofest is a great brand to add to your professional and personal profile.✅ 3. To devise a fresh event with your unique signature for a global community of professionals.✅ 4. To widen your professional network – enrich your network with some global connections.✅ 5. To show off your hometown. You live in a wonderful place/city – so showcase its ‘signifiers’ to the world!✅ We cannot promise a financial reward to hosting. As a not-for-profit venture, we are run on a volunteer basis. However, we can promise a stimulating experience, collaborative working and the satisfaction of a brilliant event.All the details are up on our website, www.semiofest.com We look forward to receiving your bids. Chris, Lucia, Hamsini The Semiofest Board #semiotics #conference #2026 #community #love #passion

Great session coming up soon in September. When you practice semiotics encountering a talented “decoder” within a work of fiction is entertaining, and for semioticians it can also prove inspiring! Semiofest convenor Joshua Glenn had invited a series of speakers, namely Becks Collins (he/they) Whitney Dunlap-Fowler Eugene Gorny Dr Rachel Lawes Chirag Mediratta Antje Weißenborn to a session to discuss a few favorite decoders from literature, movies, TV shows, and anime too! The session will take place on Zoom at 2pm UK time on Friday 27th September. Join us: https://lnkd.in/ebF3Bgmr #semiotics #decoding #literature #film #television #movies #anime #sessions

The theme of Semiofest Porto, this May, was LIMINALITY. The conference was a great success… but we all wanted more! Last month Sónia Marques, convened an excellent post liminality session with @Jerry Mathew @Shion Yokoo Alice Sweitzer delivered on aspects of the liminal. This is the second of two liminality-themed post-Porto sessions. To continue the discussion co-organiser Susanna Fránek has invited Christo Kaftandjiev, Ashley Mauritzen, and Marie Lena Tupot to chat with us about: Heroic Myths of Transition in Mass and Marketing Comms, The Crisis of Western Masculinity, and Gender as the Epitome of Liminality respectively. Tickets are by donation only. We look forward to seeing you there Friday 19th July, 2pm UK time. https://lnkd.in/ea5J95dm #semiotics #liminality #comms #masculinity #gender

Ritual has always been earnest, playful, and integral to Semiofest’s philosophy and practice. This year’s liminality theme reflected Semiofest’s ritualistic passage of shared emotional intensity and excitement, solidarity, and the collective safeguarding of the semiotic craft. Commitment to cultivating empathy and building long-lasting personal relationships and collaborative work ethic spoke to the human-centered, family vibe represented within Semiofest Porto. Photography © Adoro Dias Felizes #semiofest #semiofestporto

The theme of Semiofest Porto, this May, was LIMINALITY. The conference was a great success… but we all wanted more! So, co-organiser Sónia Marques has invited @Jerry Mathew, Alice Sweitzer, and @Shion Yokoo to chat with us about: Bridging Cyber Liminality and Ancient Wisdom, The Semiotics of Protest and Demonstration in Berlin's Consumer Culture, and Liminality and Theatricality in Performances. Please note: this is the first of two liminality-themed post-Porto sessions. Tickets are by donation only. We look forward to seeing you there on Friday 28th. You can get your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/e-4aXCq2 #semiotics #liminality

Victor Turner's perspective on liminality, a key to culture, set the stage for Semiofest. He also demonstrated that the 1960s was a time to break free from the status quo. Is it a mere coincidence that our esteemed speakers tapped so deeply into the zeitgeist of liminality related to our current world? The diverse sub-themes presented around liminality were a call to urge businesses and brands to stay relevant in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous – VUCA – world. Semiofest Porto emphasized the broader opportunities in leadership and strategy combined with the need for a semiotic lens to help tackle some of the key concerns of our time. Photography © Adoro Dias Felizes #semiofest #semiofestporto