Original or copy?

[Translate to English:] Bruno S. Frey bei seinem Vortrag auf der Bühne im Foyer des ArtLabs. (Foto: MPI für empirische Ästhetik / L. Bittner)

This year's Fechner Lecture took place on 30 October 2024 in the foyer of the ArtLab at the Max Plank Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, where guest speaker Bruno S. Frey, Professor of Economics in Basel, gave a fascinating lecture on the topic “Must It Be an Original? Considering Alternatives”:

Many art experts are convinced that only the original expresses the true aesthetic value of a work of art, Bruno S. Frey explained at the beginning of his speech. Despite this, copies are presented in many museums and attract large numbers of visitors. Bruno S. Frey used this insight to propose a solution to the conflict over the return of the Benin bronzes and to explain how Venice can be saved from mass tourism.

About Bruno S. Frey

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Bruno S. Frey (born in Basel) is Professor of Economics. He studied in Basel and Cambridge (England) and spent two years in the United States. Since 2015, he has been a permanent visiting professor at the University of Basel. He is Research Director of CREMA - Centre for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts in Zurich. His current research focuses on “happiness”, “random selection”, and “overcoming mass tourism”.