Curating the Experience: Psychology of Art and Exhibitions

Region: All Regions
Type: Workshop
Cost: Free

Curating and the Psychology of Perception are very closely interlinked. In the organisation of exhibitions, museums and galleries, the viewer’s sensory and immersive experiences are of great importance. Yet, psychologists and curators rarely discuss the influence of colours and arrangements of works of art on the viewer. This course is designed to fill this gap.

Combining lectures on the history of the most important exhibitions of modern art with the psychology of perception, this online (synchronous) course explores the following questions:

What makes exhibitions and gallery displays memorable and atmospheric, and how do sensation and perception play as much of a role in this as the information and stories we interpret on panels and labels?
In curating, museum, and gallery work, we increasingly hear about sensory and immersive experiences, but what does this mean in practice?
What are the functions and interplays of taste, smell, sound, touch and sight?
The course examines curation by addressing three broad themes in a series of paired lectures:

Looking at seminal exhibitions of the 19th century and considering audience responses to artworks of this era, drawing on theory in the psychology of perception and considering the role of colour, light and form.
Considering the evolution of curatorial practice to more independent, intimate spaces and examining the role of the gallery context on responses to artworks and how curatorial principles shape audience experience.
Exploring the historical role played by specific art collectors and considering the ways in which individual differences between different audience groups shape our experience with art and how curatorial choices maintain the relevance of historical periods of art in the present day.

In the final session, you are invited to rise and discuss any ideas and thoughts that have come up throughout the course, and the course leader will reflect on their own understanding of art historical and psychological perspectives on curating. Throughout the course, You will be invited to bring your own questions and reflections on these diverse perspectives.

Length: 7 sessions of 1.5 hrs, over 7 weeks, starting 30 April.

Times: Evenings 6-7:30 (UK time) — to make it easier for people in different countries to take the course.

Format: Online (Teams), synchronous (in real time with tutors). Course pack will be provided to all attendees.

For more information and to book visit: https://technotruth.co.uk/training-and-courses/psychology/curating-the-experience-psychology-of-art-and-exhibitions/

This course is part of the TechnoTruth training portfolio: https://technotruth.co.uk