Communication and the Semiotics of Space

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explicate some common situations relevant to communication and the semiotics of space. Semiotics provides a systemic way to analyse and understand the characteristics of signs expressing meaning. In everyday life space is rarely considered for its independent qualities, but is more generally taken as a category of conceptions that act as a background, or a context for the meaning of other objects. The study of space as a semiotic phenomenon suggests that the meaning of space, as a sign, is generally understood in relation to other concerns. Communication draws attention to the content of messages while space contributes to the meanings of those messages without being obvious about its role in constructing meaning.

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