Fechner Lecture with Anjan Chatterjee

The Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics presents a new public lecture series

The Fechner Lectures will host leading international researchers from the field of empirical aesthetics. So we cordially invite you to our first lecture:

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Beauty

Anjan Chatterjee, M.D., University of Pennsylvania

Tuesday, October 24, 2017, 6 p.m.

What has neuroscience got to say about beauty? Over the last decades, the notion of bridging brain science and the visual world has blossomed into a field of increasing international interest. Using a variety of brain-imaging and neurophysiological recording tools, the field of neuroaesthetics has since been investigating our aesthetic experiences. One of the leading international researchers in this domain is Anjan Chatterjee, Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His talk will introduce us to one of the most tantalizing questions of humanity: Why is beauty so compelling? From the origins of Max Factor to the evolutionary role of art, Anjan Chatterjee will deliver insights about the fundamental neural underpinnings of aesthetics and explain why artistic concerns play a central role in our lives. In the process of exploring aesthetic perception, he has made surprising discoveries, some of which reveal as much as beauty's implicit "ugly side".

Anjan Chatterjee, M.D.

Anjan Chatterjee (born 1958) is a Professor and Chair of Neurology at Pennsylvania Hospital. He is a member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the Center for Neuroscience and Society at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from Haverford College, his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his neurology residency at the University of Chicago. In 2002, he was awarded the Norman Geschwind Prize in Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology by the American Academy of Neurology. He is the former President of the International Association of Empirical Aesthetics and the President of the Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology Society. His neurology practice specializes in the treatment of patients with cognitive disorders. His research focuses on spatial cognition, language, ethics, and aesthetics. His most recent book is "The Aesthetic Brain: How we evolved to desire beauty and enjoy art", Oxford University Press, 2013. In 2016, Chatterjee was awarded the Rudolph Arnheim Award for contributions to psychology and the arts.

The lecture will be held in English at our Institute,

Grüneburgweg 14 
60322 Frankfurt am Main.

Admission is free and possible from 5.30 p.m. The lecture will start at 6 p.m. and last about 2 hours. For directions to our Institute, please see Contact and Directions

For any questions send us an email to fechnerlecture@ae.mpg.de.

We look forward to welcoming you at our event.

 

24. October 2017

Fechner Lecture with Anjan Chatterjee

Please click here to download the intended video from vimeo.

In doing so, data is transmitted to vimeo - please note our privacy policy in this regard

Video: Fechner Lecture with Anjan Chatterjee

The Fechner Lectures will host leading international researchers from the field of Empirical Aesthetics. So we cordially invite you to our first lecture.