Wednesday, July 06, 2011

What is the point of Art? A view from neuroscience

In conjunction with Jericho House (http://www.jerichohouse.org.uk/) there will be a talk by Prof Colin Blakemore, FRS:

What's the Point of Art? A view from neuroscience.

Time: 7-8pm

Date: 20th July 2011

Location: Lecture theatre, 33 Queen Square

There will be a discussion after the talk, led by Prof Geraint Rees.

Prof Sophie Scott will chair the event.

The talk is open to all. Please register by sending an email to sophie.scott@ucl.ac.uk

What's The Point of Art?

In the aftermath of the recent cuts arguments about arts funding are becoming increasingly heated, yet crucial discussions as to the value and place of art in our world are distinguished by their absence. As the wider society experiences the kind of structural economic changes unseen in the UK for sixty years, the time has never been riper for a serious investigation of the role of art in our lives, and of its relationship with the individual, the state and the market.

For 2011, in collaboration with University College London, we are developing a sequence of six events on the theme ‘what is the point of art?’, each featuring a single speaker, to take place in London on dates throughout the year. The aim is to have accumulated by the end a compelling portfolio of perspectives on the value of art in our society.

1 comment:

LeMel said...

I always liked John Maeda's idea about this (which I will greatly bastardize here): whereas all other investigation attempts to understand existence, art is the only ongoing investigation of what to do with existing.

With regard to funding (particularly in education), my argument is usually that the marketers and propagandists of the world wield the power of composition of words, images and sounds masterfully against our children. Shouldn't we be equipping them to understand and wield the same in kind? Isn't failing to do this encouraging an illiteracy comparable to reading and writing previous ages?