디지털 이미지와 기호의 생산 : 에코의 도상론 재해석

초록

This study aims to reinterpret the production and interpretation of visual signs in the era of digital image proliferation through Umberto Eco’s theory of iconism. Contemporary pixel-based and AI-generated synthetic images no longer rely on physical similarity to a referent; instead, they emerge as outputs of data structures and algorithmic operations. By emphasizing that iconic signs are ‘constructions of cultural codes’ rather than natural resemblances, Eco provides a critical framework for understanding the disconnect between reality and signs. This paper argues that digital similarity is a calculated effect and a secondary semiotic operation. Specifically, it highlights how invisible computational rules and user-data-driven ‘pseudo-codes’ are replacing traditional ‘encyclopedic knowledge networks’, thereby shifting semiotic sovereignty. In conclusion, the research demonstrates that sign interpretation in the digital environment is being restructured by fluid technical rules independent of social consensus and proposes a theoretical reformulation of ‘digital iconicity’ suitable for the post-human era.

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