2022 Brain Art Exhibit

The Connected Brain

Connectedness - within and between individuals - has been in the crosshairs of exciting scientific inquiry and has also reached unprecedented levels and widespread awareness of crucial societal issues. Specific examples are numerous:

  • The Human Connectome Project aims to map and elucidate the structural and functional connections of the human brain.
  • The availability of large-scale data and advancements in computer systems necessary to analyse these data lead to exciting new developments in the mathematical theory and practical utility of networks.
  • The enforced isolation and subsequent reconnection with others in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our psychological and general physical health and reshapes the way we connect with ourselves and others in our private and working lives.
  • Movements for racial and gender equality and climate change are becoming more impactful through global connections and international efforts.
  • The popular game "Six degrees of separation" and a person's "ErdÅ‘s Number" are both based on or are measures of connectedness.

In this context, we envision an exhibition under the theme "The Connected Brain", which explores the topic of connectedness on three different axes:

Axis I. (dis/re)Connection with self: Axis one focuses on disconnection and reconnection with the self. Enforced, or for that matter voluntary, isolation is a double-edged sword. While some revel in the opportunity for self-reflection, self-love, and personal development, others struggle with the loneliness that comes with it. On a more neuroanatomical level, learning new skills (e.g. piano playing) is correlated with strengthened connections within the brain, while 'disconnection syndromes' can have devastating effects on quality of life.

Axis II. (dis/re)Connection with others: The second axis focuses on connection, disconnection, and reconnection with family, colleagues, and friends. As we move our work and our private/social lives online, we inevitably re-shape our expectations from and responsibilities towards the networks to which we belong. Also, sometimes voluntary segregation from a network with a bad influence or undesirable peer pressure is the key to personal development, while other times finding the right group of people who can bring out the best in us is the answer.

Axis III. (dis/re)Connection with environment and nature: The third axis focuses on personal connection with environmental and societal causes. A crucial effect of the fact that our private and professional lives become increasingly globalized is that our lives touch and are touched by many others from different continents, cultures, and races. Importantly, through this interconnectedness, we become aware of (and even passionate about) issues that may not have local relevance where we live and thus previously we might have unknowingly ignored.

Check out our call for artists!