Comments and questions raised in online COEVOLVERS symposium "The significance of semiotics in NBS co-creation"

Today I have featured as commentator in the online symposium "The significance of semiotics in NBS co-creation", which was organised by the ERC-funded research project "Coevolutionary approach to unlock the transformative potential of nature-based solutions for more inclusive and resilient communities (COEVOLVERS)". I commented on presentations by Juha Hiedanpää, Beáta Pántya and Lona Päll, while Riin Magnus chaired the event. About 30 people attended.

See also:

To feature as commentator at COEVOLVERS Nature Based Solutions symposium August 27th

To feature as commentator at COEVOLVERS Nature Based Solutions symposium August 27th

On August 27th I will take part as a commentator in the online symposium "The significance of semiotics in NBS co-creation", which is held by researchers involved in the ERC-funded research project "Coevolutionary approach to unlock the transformative potential of nature-based solutions for more inclusive and resilient communities (COEVOLVERS)". 

The symposium, which takes place 1-3 p.m. CET, features the following three presentations, with comments/questions from me:

• Juha Hiedanpää – Co-creating multispecies significance: Some lessons for spatial planning and decision-making 
• Beáta Pántya – Art-based Multisensory Methods for Healing Garden Co-Design 
• Lona Päll – How to Discover Interspecies Relations with Semiotic Methods?

To register, see the event webpage.

Peer-review for Semiotica

I have recently done a peer-review for Semiotica.

5,000 reads of chapter "Introduction: The semiotics of animal representations" on ResearchGate

According to ResearchGate our chapter "Introduction: The semiotics of animal representations" (co-written with Kadri Tüür) has reached 5,000 reads on their platform.  Read the chapter here.

Umwelt theory and phenomenology article lauded in 2024 semiotics review article

In the article "Technological futures in semiotics: The year 2024 in review", published in Sign Systems Studies, Auli Viidalepp and Alin Olteanu have some kind words about my research related to Umwelt theory and its relevance for phenomenology. The article they refer to is "Applied umwelt theory in the context of phenomenological triangulation and descriptive phenomenology", which is openly available online.

Excerpt:

Drawing on umwelt theory, Morten Tønnessen (2024) takes new steps towards a more-than-human descriptive phenomenology. The value of his contribution as an integral and transdisciplinary framework cannot be overestimated. Tønnessen also indicates potential further applicability of the applied umwelt theory across 17 fields of research that study the perception and behaviour of humans and/or animals. To name a few less common perspectives, this framework could help in behavioural reframing of human ecology, address Anthropocene discourses in environmental humanities, model potential lifeworlds for astrobiology, or enrich psychological lifeworld studies, especially in “socio-ecological contexts and settings that involve human–animal interaction” (Tønnessen 2024: 334). The theory is also relevant for well-established epistemic communities such as the fields of sociology, political science, anthropology, (behavioural) economics, speculative and futures studies, and many others (Tønnessen 2024). In similar lines, we note Anton Markoš and Jana Švorcová’s (2024) theoretical development of the umwelt theory in regard to symbiosis.

Online semiotics workshop for University of Oran1 – Algeria scheduled, then delayed

I was scheduled to present a paper titled «Semiotics, animals, environment – Umwelt theory in the tradition of the Tartu-Copenhagen school of biosemiotics» online for University of Oran1 – Algeria, on Thursday January 8th, but pending formal approval this workshop has now been indeterminately delayed.

#45,5

Today I have had half a book writing day, focussed on my book manuscript in spe Being and Sign, with some 300 words added to the text. This was writing day #45,5 this Autumn (starting July 1st), with a total of 31,5 of the writing days devoted to book writing to date.

I also added to my preliminary plans for book writing over the next decade, with prospective titles including Global Species and The Natural History of the Phenomenal World.

#42,5

Today I have had a book writing day, with some 50 words added to my book manuscript in spe Being and Sign. I did some readings and mostly worked with improving the chapter disposition (with altogether 14 chapters and soon four times as many subchapters). This was writing day #42,5 this Autumn (starting July 1st), with a total of 31 of the writing days devoted to book writing to date.

NASS board meeting attended

Today I have attended this Autumn´s board meeting of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS). Topics included initial plans for the next NASS conference, to be held in 2027.

Reelected as Norway repr. and Secretary of NASS at NASS general assembly

On the eve of the 14th conference of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS), held in Tallinn, Estonia in conjunction with the 15th Annual Lotman Days with the theme “Creativity – Complexity – Intelligence” June 11-13th, the general assembly of NASS was held. I was reelected as Ordinary representative for Norway (which I have been since 2011), and as Secretary of NASS (which I have in this round been since 2023). Lauri Linask (Estonia) was reelected as President and Paulius Jevsejevas (Lithuania) reelected as Treasurer.

Two Certificates of Excellence for Best Student Presentation granted at NASS XIV in Tallinn

Over the last three days I have taken part in selecting the winners of the best student presentations at the 14th conference of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS), held in Tallinn, Estonia in conjunction with the 15th Annual Lotman Days with the theme “Creativity – Complexity – Intelligence”. At the closing session today, two Certificates of Excellence for Best Student Presentation were granted, to:

• Karl Joosep Pihel for the presentation "Musical semiotics in a major key: Between Deleuze and topic theory" 
• Heidi Campana Piva & Michele Cerutti for the presentation "Everything is connected: Signs of a conspiracy"

Two recent issues of the NASS newsletter (semiotics)

Since I last mentioned it here in the blog, the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS) has issued two new newsletters:

NASS Newsletter 25_2024 (Autumn), issued in November 2024

NASS Newsletter 26_2025 (Spring), issued in April 2025

I am a co-editor of the newsletter along with primus motor Inesa Sahakyan. Here is a link to all NASS newsletters published to date.

NASS board meeting attended

Today I attended a board meeting of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS), which was focused on planning related to our forthcoming conference, NASS XIV, to be held in Tallinn, Estonia June 11-13th. The planning is led by NASS President Lauri Linask.

IACS5 plenary talks abstracts now online

Abstracts of the six plenary talks for the 5th conference of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics have now been shared online.

These include:

Elena Cuffari: "Autonomy, participation, and sense-making as sites of crisis: studying the technopolitical situatedness of linguistic bodies"

Hans-Georg Moeller: "The Crisis of Authenticity: Meaning under Conditions of "Profilicity""

Cornelia Müller: "Multimodality and aesthetic experience: How feeling guides the ways we make sense"

Jamin Pelkey: "The birth of wild meaning: Facing crises of alienation and disenchantment"

Komarine Romdenh-Romluc: "Break-downs and times of crisis"

Morten Tønnessen: "The crisis of mechanistic science seen through the lens of the nature crisis"

Two abstracts reviewed for world congress in semiotics

I have reviewed two abstracts submitted to the organizers of the 16th world congress of semiotics, to be held in Warsaw, Poland, in early September, in my capacity as a member of the congress´ scientific committee.

NASS board meeting attended

Today I attended the board meeting of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS), as the organization´s Secretary.

Appointed member of scientific committee of "Traces of extinction" conference

I have agreed to be a member of the Scientific Committee of the conference "Traces of Extinction: Species Loss, Solastalgia, and Semiotics of Recovery", which is to be held at University of Tartu, Estonia, June 5–7 2024.

Abstracts are due December 1st - see the call for papers.

IAVS13 conference website updated

The conference website of the 13th conference of the International Association for Visual Semiotics (IAVS) has been updated, with the abstract book and presentation of the plenary speakers in English, Spanish and French. Some of the info in my bionote is outdated (namely, I am no longer Vice-dean of research, President of the Nordic assosiation for semiotic studies or Editor in chief of Biosemiotics).

A conference poster has been posted in social media.

Member of the Scientific committee of the 16th World Congress of Semiotics

I have agreed to be a member of the Scientific committee of the 16th World Congress of Semiotics, which will have the theme “Signs and Realities” and be held in Warsaw, Poland September 2-6th 2024.

NASS General Assembly chaired; elected Secretary of NASS; Lauri Linask new NASS President

Yesterday, on Friday June 9th, I chaired the general assembly of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS) in conjunction with the 13th conference of the Nordic Association for Semiotic Studies (NASS) in Helsinki (June 7-9th). After three terms - six years - as President, I stepped down from this role, and was elected Secretary (I was also Secretary in 2011-2017). Lauri Linask was elected President of NASS.