I had hoped to be able to travel to Chemnitz, where I spent quite a few years of my academic career (1995-2007). Unfortunately, this year’s DGS (German Society of Semiotics)-Conference, like many others, still is a virtual one. I am honored and glad to be giving a keynote on ‚Transforming pictorial reference in the age of computer-generated imagery. A multimodal view from current advertising‘ at the start of this conference. Here is the abstract to the talk, which takes up empirical work I started in 2019 and whose underlying data has grown and will form the basis of more work on multimodal coherence and argumentation in print ads. Feel free to join the ZOOM meeting on Tuesday, 28 September 2021 at 11 a.m. by writing an email to dgs-keynotes@tu-chemnitz.de, asking for the link. There are many interesting panels on various aspects of semiotics and its domains of application, from architecture and design over media and fashion to semiotic theory. Do check out the programme.

