The Material Metamorphosis of Neon Symbols and the Reconstruction of Power: A Media Topology Study from Industrial Relics to Digital Simulacra

This study redefines neon lighting as a dynamic semiotic infrastructure that reflects the interplay of material constraints, media architectures, and power mechanisms. By tracing the evolution of neon symbols from handcrafted signs in the era of print capitalism to digital simulacra within contemporary social media, the research challenges conventional semiotic paradigms that emphasize fixed signifier-signified relationships.