02 Nov IMPACT OF ART ON HUMAN BRAINWAVES VISUALISED FOR PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME
The impact of art on human brainwaves has been visualised in real-time and in 3D for the public, for the first time. The world-first project from Art Fund, the national charity for art, highlights how people’s brains are stimulated when they experience art in museums and galleries, and aims to help answer the question of the fundamental value of art.
The technology was trialled by members of the public for the first time this week at London’s Courtauld Gallery [pictured]. Those taking part viewed artworks including by Vincent Van Gogh, Èdouard Manet, Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne while connected to an electroencephalogram (EEG) monitor. The outputs of the brainwaves were visualised on-screen in 3D and real-time. The technology is set to tour select museums across the UK in 2024.
The project was commissioned by Art Fund to illustrate the impact art can have on people’s brains and emotions, which in turn the charity hopes will help encourage museum and gallery visiting. New research commissioned to accompany the project found that whilst 95% of UK adults agree that visiting museums and galleries is beneficial, four in ten (40%) visit less than once a year and around one in six Brits (16%) believe that art has no impact on them.
However, the technology on show at the Courtauld Gallery today demonstrates both the clear and immediate impact art can have on the human brain, and how varied artworks may impact differently. For example, Van Gogh’s Self Portrait with a Bandaged Ear (1882) creates a clearly different pattern of brainwaves to Leon Kossoff’s Shell Building Site (1962) and Matthew Arnold Bracy Smith’s Lilies in a Jar (1914) [pictured side-by-side in attached release, with the corresponding brain wave patterns].
This is reflected in the cognisant emotions of those consuming the art – when surveyed the UK public said they felt ‘curious’ (34%) and ‘intrigued’ (33%) when viewing the Van Gogh; ‘confused’ (38%) and ‘curious’ (20%) were the primary reactions when viewing Kossoff’s piece; and the floral display left 27% of respondents feeling ‘relaxed’.
Art Fund created the campaign to highlight the significant benefits of visiting museums and galleries with a National Art Pass, which allows members of the public to enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic houses across the UK as well as 50% off major exhibitions and discounts in museum shops and cafes.
Dr Ahmad Beyh, a neuroscientist and Postdoctoral fellow at Rutgers University, said: “We know that when a person views something that they find beautiful, for example, a face or an abstract art painting, their brain’s pleasure centres light up and its visual sensory centre is engaged more intensely. Studies suggest that this is accompanied by a release of dopamine, which is also known as the feel-good neurotransmitter.”
The system for displaying the brainwaves has been created by special effects company The Mill, in collaboration with interactive artist Seph Li, interpreting electric signals coming from the brain to create three-dimensional real-time visualisations of the brainwaves of people who are viewing works of art in a museum context. Typically shown in a two-dimensional graph, for this project a third dimension is added to allow the depiction of specific information.
Will Macneil, Creative Director, The Mill, explains: “When a user is more alert, the ribbons become wider, or when they are trying to make sense of something confusing the ribbons start to spiral and weave. When the viewer sees something they recognise, bright highlights appear.
Art Fund Director, Jenny Waldman, said: “At Art Fund we want to encourage everyone to share in great art and culture. By visualising the way engaging with amazing art and objects can truly impact us, we hope we will inspire more people to explore museums and galleries on their doorstep”.
Details of the museums the project will be visiting in 2024 will be released next year. More information about National Art Pass can be found here: https://www.artfund.org/national-art-pass
