I’m the founder, though no longer the convenor of Semiofest’s series of informal online “sessions.” These events are intended not only to share best practices among, but to nurture collegiality and friendship within the global semio community.

Coming up on July 31st (at 2 pm UK time)…

SEMIOTICS & FOOD

Get tickets (suggested donations only) at the link above.

In our journey to nourish body, mind, and soul, food is not only a functional staple, but a cultural medium for comfort and conversation, even a portal to enlightenment. Pierre Lee has invited Jessica Hamel-Akré and Serdar Patkin to participate in a session on the Semiotics of Food: Myths, Magic, and Munches. 

Our sessionists:

• JESSICA HAMEL-AKRÉ is a cultural strategist, semiotician, and historian of ideas. As co-founder of Ember, a strategic research consultancy, she helps brands and institutions understand the cultural currents shaping markets and everyday life. She holds a PhD from the University of Montreal and was a postdoctoral researcher in history and philosophy of science at Cambridge. Her book, The Art of Not Eating, traces the deep cultural roots of health & wellness culture.

• SERDAR PAKTIN is a strategist, sensemaker, and expert in cross-cultural semiotics and cultural analysis. As the founder of Pakt Agency, a consultancy based in London and Istanbul, he helps brands and businesses navigate cultural and sensory codes across Turkey, the MENA region, the UK, and beyond, bridging Western and Eastern perspectives.

Session host:

• PIERRE LEE is a French-Singaporean cultural researcher, strategist, and writer currently based in Toronto, Canada. He has extensive experience in F&B strategic positioning, innovation, and concept creation – drawing on ethnography, qualitative interviews, archival work, and sensory semiotics. He has also worked part-time in a ‘zero-waste’ fine dining restaurant in Toronto, and currently co-hosts a monthly ice cream making club for former industry professionals.

SEMIOFEST SESSIONS: R/D/E | BINARIES | SEMIOTICS & UX | BODY SEMIOTICS | AI & SEMIOTICS | SEMIOTICS & CINEMA | FICTIONAL DECODERS | ON COLOUR | & more.

Also see these global semio series: MAKING SENSE (Q&As) | SEMIOFEST SESSIONS (monthly mini-conferences) | COVID CODES | SEMIO OBJECTS | COLOR CODEX | DECODER (fictional semioticians) | CASE FILE | PHOTO OP | MEDIA DIET | TATTOO YOU (semioticians’ tattoos).