Cognition and Museum will be part of the 2nd Art + Science Conference on Empirical Methods in Art History and Visual Studies. The aim of this conference series is to give new approaches in the art sciences a platform and to support exchange among scholars concerned with empirical approaches to art research.

Cognition and Museum Panel

The museum as such is a huge laboratory for aesthetic experience and judgement. A museum is an artificial room designed to guarantee a most pleasing sensation while wandering through a chosen selection of cultural objects. Social, emotional and cognitive aspects are intertwined in this experience. In the museum, even in the natural history museums, we encounter our cultural past (the exhibited objects), present (the presentation) and often enough our predicted future. How does our social status influence this encounter? How does the spatial situation shape our experience? How is the art experience different from other art related spaces or from a laboratory where art may be used? How are greater cultural narratives developed and can they be understood by the visitors? Can we learn something about the function of art while observing the behavior of the beholder?

We welcome contributions that discuss or explicitly revert to scientific methods for the investigation of questions raised from a Humanities perspective related to the problem space characterized above. The methods may stem from a broad variety of backgrounds including social science, psychology or visitor studies. We especially encourage contributions of interdisciplinary projects.

For proposing a talk or poster to this panel please submit a 250 words abstract. Individual talks should be scheduled for approximately 20 minutes. Please specify on your abstract your preferred form of presentation (individual talk or poster). The committee will review all submissions and in case of acceptance make the final decision on the presentation format. Please see our website for further information and more details on the submission guidelines: artandscience.univie.ac.at.

Unfortunately travel costs cannot be reimbursed.

Please direct your communication to: Mario Thalwitzer, artandscience.kunstgeschichte@[at]univie.ac.at