Cross-Cultural Semiotic Dialogue and the Spoliarium

The trade-offs of "meaning-making" between East and West may be regarded as an aggiornamento ("updating") for any culture in contact. But since aggiornamento entails a wide range of subjects, the essay situates the meaning-making within the scope of masterpieces in diverse formats, from the printed literary text to the painted image (e.g., Spoliarium). Specifically, the essay offers a rethinking of the cross-cultural semiotic dialogue, paving the way for recognizing the homo significans. However, the customary framing of the Spoliarium does not seem to warrant its conscious knowledge and understanding as a text and a visual art. For this reason, the essay endorses its reframing and its aggiornamento, which is induced by the rapid advancement of science and technology.