Images of the Mind

The study of the brain and the mind has been the subject of scientific, philosophical and artistic expression for centuries. Modern artists, in particular, have produced numerous works as metaphors of the human mind. Natural scientists have also endeavoured to visually depict complex mental phenomena and have applied methods similar to those used by fine artists – sketches, drawings, photography, film and new image processing technology.
The German Hygiene Museum in Dresden and the Moravská Gallery in Brno, the second largest art museum in the Czech Republic, collaborated on an exhibition which explored these “images of the mind”. The exhibition featured works spanning eight centuries, e.g. scientific and artistic paintings, graphic works, illustrations and photography, and established a link to contemporary works and images produced by the neuro- and cognitive sciences. This cross-disciplinary approach demonstrated how the portrayal and understanding of the human mind has changed over the past centuries, and encouraged critical reflection on the promises of so-called “neuro-imaging”.
In addition to an international, interdisciplinary conference, the accompanying programme featured special events for young people related to biology, ethics and religion.

Curators: Colleen Schmitz, Ladislav Kesner (CZ)
Artists: Guiseppe Arcimboldo (I), Albrecht Dürer, Hans Baldung Grien, Chales Le Brun (F), Rembrandt van Rijn (NL), Leonardo da Vinci (I), Santiago Ramón y Cajala (E), Hugh Welch Diamond (GB), Sigmund Freud (A), Vincent van Gogh (NL), Max Klinger, Edvard Munch (N), Odilon Redon (F), Salvador Dalí (E), Arnold Schönberg (A), Vojtěch Preissig (CZ), Susan Aldworth (GB), Andrew Carnie (GB), Jiři Černický (CZ), Antony Gormley (GB), Martin Kippenberger, Via Lewandowsky, Warren Neidich (USA), Adriena Simotová (CZ), Rosemarie Trockel, Bill Viola, Adolf Wöfli, Prinzhorn-Collection and others

Venues and schedule:
Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden, 22 July – 1 October 2011
Moravská Galerie Brno (Czech Republic), 26 November 2011 – 24 February 2012