The intertexteme as an instrument in the past — pre­sent — future dialogical space of urbanism practices: an intersemiotic ana­ly­sis of graffiti and inscriptions in Gdansk and Kaliningrad

Abstract

This paper discusses intertextual and intervisual tools for creating the past — present — future dialogic axis in urban practices, using the example of graffiti and inscriptions in Gdansk and Kaliningrad. The authors describe the urban space as an object of research, give a definition of the urban inscription, characterize the semiotic nature of the latter, consider ter­minology problems relating to the category of intertextuality, and broadly interpret the inter­texteme as a tool in the ‘past — present — future’ dialogical space in the urban narrative. The study relies on rich empirical material. In summing up the features of semantic formation in the narrative urban practices, the authors conclude that the urban inscription is a symbolical­ly organized space in which the interpreter deals with signs of various semiotic systems and employs cultural meanings and conventions expressed in both verbal and graphic forms. The recognizability of intertextemes in both authentic and modified forms contributes to the at­tractivity of the urban text and its dialogical nature.

Keywords

• intertextuality
• urban inscriptions
• graffiti
• timeline
• urban space