Teaching in the Age of Coronavirus: A Semiotic Perspective

A university professor of Russian art history reflects on the shift to remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on the semiotic theories of Yuri Lotman to understand the cultural explosion caused by the virus. The professor notes that the invisible, universal threat has upended traditional classroom dynamics, creating a 'reversed proxemics' where physical distance fosters greater intellectual and emotional closeness. Lotman's concepts of unpredictability, explosion, and the 'other' are used to frame the crisis as a transformative event that breaks habitual cultural patterns. The professor also cites Pavel Florensky's distinction between lectio (reading) and lekcija (conversation) to describe the new dialogic teaching approach that has emerged. The article was published on Artribune in March 2020, as part of a series on professions during the pandemic.