A stimulating theory sessions investigating the work of the founder of cultural semiotics Juri Lotman
About this Event

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 3 speakers: 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.

MAX MATUS is a Zapotec indigenous scholar and consultant. He is the research director of Semiosfera Consulting. In his professional career as a consultant with 25 years of experience, Max has worked for the public and private sectors, developing qualitative research for the evaluation and innovation of products, services, and public policy in México, the U.S.A, and LATAM.

MARIA PAPANTHYMOU is a co-founder of the Semiopirates collective, which explores and deconstructs cultural meanings through projects at the intersection of semiotics and art.
Maria holds an MA in Sociology, a PhD in Social Psychology, and a postgraduate diploma in documentary filmmaking. She has over 15 years of experience in commercial semiotics.
Of mixed cultural heritage, Maria spent most of her life in Russia before relocating to Greece in recent years, where she now organizes professional courses for semioticians.

AULI VIIDALEPP is a Research Fellow in Semiotics at the University of Tartu and a Visiting Researcher at the University of Turin. She is investigating the sociocultural construction and impact of technology, focusing on AI and generative media.

MAARJA OJAMAA is an Associate Professor of Semiotics at the University of Tartu, Estonia, where she co-leads the Transmedia Research Group. Her work focuses on the dynamics of learning and teaching culture in the digital age.

This session is going to be one-of-a-kind and we can't wait to see you there. Semiofest is a non-profit organisation that relies on kind donations to help us cover our expenses. We recommend a minimum donation of £5.

Thank you.

The Semiofest Team