2025 Inconscio e umorismo 

Project Description

The research project explores the relationship between humor and the unconscious, considering the comic as a privileged form of psychic and cultural expression. Humor, far from being a superficial dimension of communication, is conceived as a symbolic device capable of staging deep desires, fears, and conflicts. Through the analysis of literary and theoretical texts, the project aims to investigate the function of humor as a space of tension between laughter and the tragic, lightness and anguish, play and suffering.

Objectives

The project aims to:

• Analyze the unconscious mechanisms that feed the comic and wit;

• Investigate the role of humor as a pathway to the unconscious, from a Freudian perspective;

• Explore the function of humor in literature as a mask of the tragic and as a form of conflict processing;

• Examine the cultural and collective dimension of the comic, understood as an expression of the social unconscious;

• Understand the role of humor as a practice of resistance in contexts of social and political crisis.

Theoretical Framework

The project is primarily based on Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, particularly the concepts developed in Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious and his texts on humor. In dialogue with psychoanalysis, the research draws on contributions from literary theory, philosophy, and cultural studies, considering the works of authors such as Cervantes, Shakespeare, Molière, Pirandello, Kafka, and Beckett as privileged sites to observe the interplay between comedy and existential unease.

Methodology

The research will adopt an interdisciplinary approach, organized as follows:

• Textual and comparative analysis of literary works in which the comic plays a structuring role;

• Study of psychoanalytic theoretical texts on humor and wit;

• Cultural and historical reading of comic forms in relation to social and political contexts;

• Comparison between the individual and collective dimensions of humor.

Expected Outcomes

The project aims to contribute to a redefinition of humor as a complex psychic device, capable of transforming discomfort and rendering the repressed speakable. Expected outcomes include:

• A theoretical deepening of the relationship between humor, the unconscious, and literary creation;

• An interpretation of the comic as a space for symbolic elaboration and critical reflection on reality;

• The valorization of humor as an interpretative key to understanding the crisis of the subject and modernity.

2024 Tra Leonardo e Freud, il genio delle origini nelle formule della creazione: un confronto aperto nell’ambito dei saperi 

Project Description

The research project aims to investigate the figure of Leonardo da Vinci in light of Freud’s interpretation presented in Leonardo da Vinci and a Memory of His Childhood, focusing on the concept of sublimation as a theoretical key to understanding the origins of artistic and scientific creation. Starting from the analysis of the famous childhood memory evoked by Freud — the enigmatic image of the bird in the cradle — the research seeks to explore the connection between primal fantasy, drives, maternal bond, and the destiny of sexuality, engaging in a dialogue between psychoanalysis, art history, literature, and science.

Objectives

The main objective of the project is to clarify whether and how sublimation can be understood not merely as an abstract metapsychological concept, but as a concrete process of creation, capable of permeating both artistic work and scientific inquiry. In this sense, Freud’s Leonardo is considered an exemplary case of a creative mode that does not eliminate the instinctual conflict but transforms it into research, form, and knowledge.

The project also aims to:

• Analyze Freud’s representation of sexuality, homosexuality, and the paternal issue in relation to Leonardo’s biography and works;

• Examine the retroactive and narrative character of Freud’s investigation, which takes the form of a theoretical-literary story;

• Explore the relationship between sublimation, symptom, and creative unrest, avoiding a moralizing or idealizing reading of the artistic process.

Theoretical Framework

The project is grounded in Freudian thought, with particular reference to the concept of sublimation, developed both in clinical texts and in cultural reflections such as Civilization and Its Discontents. In this perspective, sublimation is seen as an alternative to repression and symptomatic fixation, but also as a structural condition of modernity, in which civilization itself is founded on the renunciation of drives and the transformation of instincts into elevated symbolic activities.

Leonardo’s art, described by Freud as the “highest form of sublimation granted to man,” thus becomes a privileged site to investigate the tension between destruction and creation, anxiety and contemplation, conflict and form.

Methodology

The research will adopt an interdisciplinary approach, structured as follows:

• Textual analysis of Freud’s works dedicated to Leonardo and sublimation;

• Comparative study of Leonardo’s artistic and scientific works as expressions of a unified creative movement;

• Critical engagement with subsequent contributions from psychoanalysis, philosophy, and aesthetic theory;

• Attention to the political and cultural dimension of sublimation as a collective and historical experience.

Expected Outcomes

The project aims to contribute to a redefinition of the concept of sublimation as work on form, marked by residues, costs, and unresolved tensions, rather than as pacification of conflicts. Through the comparison of Leonardo and Freud, the research seeks to offer an original reflection on creative genius, the origins of knowledge, and the role of unrest as a driving force in both art and scientific thought.

2023 L'Unheimliche di Freud. Il familiare e le dimore del segreto

Project Description

The research project aims to deepen the Freudian concept of Unheimliche (the Uncanny), taking it as a central theoretical category for understanding the dynamics of modern unease. The Unheimliche designates the experience in which what is most familiar, domestic, and identity-defining suddenly becomes strange and threatening, revealing the presence of a secret that emerges from within familiarity itself. Starting from Freud’s essay Das Unheimliche (1919), the project investigates how the uncanny challenges the boundaries between inside and outside, known and unknown, identity and otherness.

Objectives

The project aims to:

• Analyze the concept of Unheimliche in its theoretical genesis and psychoanalytic implications;

• Explore the link between the uncanny, repression, and the return of the repressed;

• Investigate the metaphor of the house (Heim) as a symbolic space of identity, inhabited by secrecy and otherness;

• Foster dialogue between psychoanalysis, literature, aesthetics, philosophy, and the arts;

• Examine contemporary resonances of the Unheimliche in relation to transformations of space, time, and forms of everyday life, including political and cultural perspectives.

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework is based on Freud’s essay The Uncanny, in dialogue with twentieth- and twenty-first-century philosophical reflection, particularly contributions such as those by Schelling and Jacques Derrida, which highlight the spectral, secret, and irreducible dimension of the Unheimliche. The uncanny is thus understood not as mere fear of the unknown, but as the experience of the return of what has been repressed and, although originally familiar, presents itself as strange.

Methodology

The research will adopt an interdisciplinary approach, structured as follows:

• Textual analysis of Freud’s essay and related theoretical texts;

• Critical reading of literary and artistic works in which the uncanny plays a structuring role;

• Comparison between psychoanalytic, philosophical, and aesthetic perspectives;

• Attention to contemporary transformations of the categories of space, time, and dwelling.

Expected Outcomes

The project aims to reestablish the Unheimliche as a fundamental critical category for understanding the modern and contemporary experience of unease. Expected outcomes include:

• A reinterpretation of the uncanny as a structural experience of identity, always traversed by otherness;

• A contribution to interdisciplinary dialogue between psychoanalysis, literature, the arts, and philosophy;

• Reflection on the critical and political value of the uncanny as the revelation of what, although hidden, insists on re-emerging.

2022 Ascolto e transfert. Traduzioni e autotraduzioni in letteratura e psicanalisi

Project Description

The research project aims to investigate the relationship between psychoanalytic listening, transference, and literary translation, considering translation as a hermeneutic and relational practice rather than a mere technical operation. Drawing on Freud’s conception of care as attention to speech and listening, the study explores the analogy between the analytic act of listening and the act of translation, both understood as experiences that involve suspension of judgment, openness to otherness, and engagement with meaning that exceeds conscious understanding.

Objectives

The project aims to:

• Analyze the concept of psychoanalytic listening as a transphenomenological experience;

• Investigate transference as a relational structure of meaning, active both in clinical practice and in translation practice;

• Explore translation and self-translation as forms of attentive listening to the text and the other;

• Foster dialogue between psychoanalysis, translation theory, and literary criticism;

• Reflect on the role of translation as a critical practice in opposition to cultural flattening and standardization of taste.

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework is based on Freudian thought concerning speech, listening, and transference, in dialogue with phenomenological and post-phenomenological philosophy, translation theory, and comparative literature studies. Translation is conceived as a space of tension between fidelity and betrayal, truth and transmissibility, cultural heritage and its transmission, following a non-ethnocentric approach to literatures and knowledge.

Methodology

The research will adopt an interdisciplinary approach, structured as follows:

• Theoretical analysis of psychoanalytic texts on language and listening;

• Comparative study of literary works in translation and self-translation;

• Critical analysis of paratexts and translational choices;

• Comparison between clinical and translational practices as devices of relation and interpretation.

Expected Outcomes

The project aims to reconceive translation as an act of listening and transference, capable of preserving the plurality of worlds and the complexity of works. Expected outcomes include:

• A redefinition of translation as a poetic and critical practice;

• A theoretical contribution to the dialogue between psychoanalysis and translation studies;

• Reflection on the ethical and political value of translation as a space of freedom, unpredictability, and encounter between differences.

University of Urbino Carlo Bo

CIRLEP collaborates with the University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Department of Communication, Humanities and International Studies (DISCUI), and the International Center for Semiotic Sciences “Umberto Eco” (CiSS). The cooperation agreement provides for the joint development of conferences, seminars, workshops, research projects, doctoral programs, postdoctoral fellowships, and master’s programs, as well as the exchange of expertise and resources between the two centers. This partnership fosters academic and scientific exchange, the training of young researchers, and the strengthening of cultural ties between the institutions.

Extimité Association

CIRLEP also collaborates with the Extimité group, a Florentine association founded in 2015, which focuses on psychoanalytic training, research, and dissemination. The association promotes psychoanalytic culture with a critical and theoretical approach, often linked to Freudian and Lacanian traditions, organizing events and seminars for students and mental health professionals.

Literature and Psychoanalysis

• Comparative analysis of literary works through psychoanalytic perspectives;
• Study of the relationships between narrative structures and psychic dynamics;
• Exploration of the literature–psychoanalysis nexus as an interpretative key to social and cultural reality.

Related Arts and Interdisciplinarity

• Interactions between literature, cinema, visual, and performing arts;
• Analysis of symbolic and archetypal representations in contemporary artistic production;
• Study of aesthetic languages and creative mechanisms shared across artistic disciplines and psychoanalysis.

Literary Theory and Criticism

• History of literary theories and interpretative models;
• Examination of international critical contributions on literature and psychoanalysis;
• Comparative research between different cultural and literary traditions.

CIRLEP

Palazzo Santa Maria Porta Coeli, via Duomo n. 219-223, 80138 Napoli NA, Università "L'Orientale", II floor, room 210

Director: 
Giovanni Rotiroti: grrotiroti@unior.it

Administrative Office:
Irma Carannante: icarannante@unior.it

Location:
CIRLEP (Cultural Development Centre on “Literature and Psychoanalysis”) is established at the University of Naples “L’Orientale,” with its operational headquarters at the Department of Literary, Linguistic and Comparative Studies, Via Duomo 219, Naples.

Aims:
The Centre promotes research, dissemination, and cultural service activities in the fields of literature, related arts, and psychoanalysis. Its main objectives include:

• Development and consolidation of interdisciplinary scientific research.

• Visibility of research outcomes through seminars, conferences, and symposia.

• Dissemination of results via digital archives, online networks, and publications.

• Participation in national and international research projects.

• Training of young researchers and cultural practitioners through research fellowships and doctoral scholarships.

• Organization of continuing education courses for teachers and cultural operators.

• Publication of monographs, collected volumes, and a Dictionary of terms and themes in psychoanalysis and literature.

Governing Bodies:

• President: elected by the Assembly with an absolute majority of members and responsible for the overall management of the Centre.

• Scientific Board: composed of the President and four University faculty members elected by the Assembly; it may be expanded to include representatives from partner institutions. The term of office is three years and is renewable.

• Assembly of Members: provides opinions on the Centre’s activities and approves the President and the Scientific Board.

Funding
The Centre may receive resources from:

• University research funds (individual and collective, PRA, etc.).

• External public and private entities, such as the Municipality of Naples, the Campania Region, the Banco di Napoli Foundation, and the European Community.

Activities
CIRLEP promotes national and international collaborations, academic exchanges, public events as part of its third-mission activities, and cultural initiatives that enhance the relationship between literature and psychoanalysis.

President 
Giovanni Raimondo Rotiroti

Honorary President
Anna Maria Pedullà

Website Coordinator
Irma Maria Grazia Carannante

Founding Members
Jana Altmanova, Vincenzo Arsillo, Laura Cannavacciuolo, Guido Maria Cappelli, Irma Maria Grazia Carannante, Anna Cerbo, Rossella Ciocca, Federico Corradi, Sergio Corrado, Michele Costagliola d’Abele, Augusto Guarino, Carmela Maria Laudando, Salvatore Luongo, Alberto Manco, Giampiero Moretti, Marco Ottaiano, Franco Paris, Anna Maria Pedullà, Giovanni Raimondo Rotiroti, Carlo Vecce

Members of the Executive Board
Laura Cannavacciuolo, Irma Maria Grazia Carannante, Federico Corradi, Michele Costagliola d’Abele, Giovanni Raimondo Rotiroti

Members of the Scientific Board
Mario Ajazzi Mancini, Simone Berti, Corin Braga, Irma Maria Grazia Carannante, Anna Cerbo, Carmelo Colangelo, Ilaria Detti, Federico Fabbri, Augusto Guarino, C. Maria Laudando, Giulia Lorenzini, Nicola Mariotti, Anna Maria Pedullà, Mattia Luigi Pozzi, Girolamo Sirena, Carlo Vecce, Alberto Zino

Affiliated Members
Jana Altmanova, Vincenzo Arsillo, Guia M. Boni, Marco Borrelli, Ivana Calceglia, Laura Cannavacciuolo, Guido Maria Cappelli, Irma Maria Grazia Carannante, Dan Octavian Cepraga, Anna Cerbo, Rossella Ciocca, Federico Corradi, Sergio Corrado, Michele Costagliola d’Abele, Emilia David, Vincenzo Fiore, Annaclaudia Giordano, Augusto Guarino, Marie Jadot, Carmela Maria Laudando, Salvatore Luongo, Giovanni Magliocco, Alberto Manco, Giampiero Moretti, Giuseppina Notaro, Marco Ottaiano, Tiziana Pangrazi, Franco Paris, Anna Maria Pedullà, Rosa Piro, Mattia Luigi Pozzi, Giovanni Raimondo Rotiroti, Alberto Scialò, Giulia Scuro, Blerina Suta, Paolo Vanini, Carlo Vecce, Germana Volpe

The Centre promotes research on the relationship between literatures, related arts, and psychoanalysis, with the aim of fostering comparative studies and enhancing the extensive theoretical and critical heritage devoted to this field. In particular, it supports the publication of scholarly studies and the organization of conferences, seminars, and meetings with critics and authors from the contemporary cultural sphere.

The Centre pursues its activities in research, dissemination, and cultural service according to the following principles:

• Strengthening interdisciplinary research: contributing to the development and coordination of interdisciplinary scholarly research

• Visibility of research outcomes: disseminating national research results through seminars, conferences, and symposia that address the operational needs of various socio-cultural sectors

• Scholarly dissemination: promoting the circulation of research results produced within the Centre by making use of existing academic resources and by developing additional tools such as digital networks, technologies, and communication archives

• Participation in research projects: collaborating in European and national research projects consistent with the Centre’s objectives

• Training: fostering the education of early-career researchers and cultural practitioners through research fellowships and doctoral scholarships

• Continuing education: organizing training courses for teachers and cultural practitioners, taught by Italian and international specialists

• Scholarly publications: promoting the publication of monographs, collected volumes, and a Dictionary of terms and themes related to the Centre’s research activities

Activities

The Centre promotes cooperation agreements for the development of research activities and encourages international programmes and conventions for the exchange of faculty and students. It also fosters collaborative agreements with academic institutions and public and private bodies, aimed at organizing activities in partnership with extra-university cultural and research organizations.

The Centre further promotes third-mission activities through public events designed to disseminate knowledge of the literature–psychoanalysis nexus, enhancing it as a key interpretative framework for social and civic reality and its processes of transformation over time.