In this episode of Sign(e)s, Sophia Burnett talks with Brendan Graham Dempsey about the “kaleidoscopic eye”—a mandala-like symbol of nested vision, spirals, and fractal consciousness. Drawing on his work in complexity, theology, spirituality, and systems thinking, Brendan unpacks the symbol’s deep structure: from Dante’s celestial architecture to contemporary visionary and AI art. He shows how this recurring motif encodes an evolutionary movement toward integration and the divine center, while also acknowledging its inverted, darker expressions.

Cette conversation explore la pluralité du Y, non seulement comme lettre, mais comme glyphe et schéma formel. Nicolas Pommier y mobilise ses recherches pour retracer son évolution historique, typographique et sémantique, de l’étymologie aux usages contemporains. Le Y y apparaît tour à tour comme structure graphique, symbole culturel et matrice conceptuelle; investi dans des champs aussi divers que la génétique, l’art, le design et la culture visuelle.

In this episode, Sophia Burnett receives Dara Theodora to explore visual semiology through the lens of gesture, focusing in particular on a specific gesture that has traversed Spanish and Renaissance art. They discuss the meaning of this gesture, its use by various artists, and theories concerning its origin. The paintings referred to in this episode can be seen found in Dara's website: https://daratheodora.com/2017/11/01/mysterious-gesture/