Semiotics of Mass Culture

Specific Foundation / Core

The course initially aims to an extensive examination of the pop culture’s multiple facets and their various intersections. In depth semiotic analysis on a wide variety of visual examples and cultural practices will help us trace the symbolisms involved, the artifacts themselves, the cultural processes, the influences from and the impacts on visual culture, on the over all lifestyles, on urban environment as well as in society at large. The lessons will draw on examples from encountering fields and practices such as the comics, graffiti, cinema, the Press and TV, subcultures, DIY culture, music videos, tattoos, gastronomy, graphic design, fashion, the art world, entertainment and the cultural industries, sports, commerce and marketing. Further cases examined extend from music concerts to events such as the Olympic Games opening ceremonies and the Eurovision song contests. From the underground parties to the club cultures, from mega events to the beach bars, from the fanzines to the free Press, to Youtube and Tumblr pages, from murals to memes and gifs. From the counterculture to consumer and hipster culture, expanding even further to notions such as style and fads, and to dualisms such as metropolis and periphery, high and low, grassroots and mainstream. Ultimately, the course’s objective is an over all understanding of symbolic gestures, the various phenomena and actions, the cultural production, as well as a critical approach on the aforementioned.

pop culture, viusal culture, subcultures

09-10-2018