The Neuroaesthetics Lab at the University of Suceava, in collaboration with NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) and the University of Bergen, invites participation to its inaugural international conference. The conference title intentionally suggests a broad scope, inviting reflection and debate on the interplay between biological universals involved in aesthetic perception and geographically and/or socially situated cultural contexts. The conference title also alludes to the empirical approach developed by the German experimental psychologist and philosopher, Theodor Fechner, in 1876: ‘aesthetics from below’ requires the study of a phenomenon using empirical and scientific analysis methods, whereas ‘aesthetics from above’ refers to the birds-eye view provided by philosophers and to the assessment of a phenomenon through deep introspection, offered by philosophers of art, as well as the artists themselves, through their work. We therefore aim to select a balanced set of paper presentations, posters, or workshop proposals that use quantitative methods (studying ‘aesthetics from below’), qualitative methods (studying ‘aesthetics from above’), or, indeed, combinations of both. Artists who wish to present work that links to neuroscience or psychological science are warmly invited to participate. The conference is funded  through the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014 -2021 – Norway Grants within the PoeticA project (RO-NO-2019-0091). There is no conference fee.

In partnership with the academic journal, Behavioral Sciences (Q1, Impact Factor: 2.286 [2021]; 5-Year Impact Factor: 3.070 [2021]), selected article-length papers derived from conference presentations will be published in a special edition provisionally entitled Neuroaesthetics perspectives on the universality of aesthetic experience. A 50-100% discount for the article processing charge will be offered to contributors.

Keynote speakers and their plenary presentations:

Dr Ronald Hübner, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany

Beauty is a line: aspects of line aesthetics

Prof Claus-Christian Carbon, Department of General Psychology and Methodology, Research Group EPÆG (Ergonomics, Psychological Æsthetics, Gestalt), Bamberg Graduate School of Affective and Cognitive Sciences (BaGrACS), University of Bamberg, Germany

About the need for a solid and valid theoretical fundament to conduct future aesthetics studies

Dr Marco Bertamini, Department of General Psychology, Visual Perception Lab, University of Padova, Italy

Is symmetry a clear case of an aesthetic primitive?

Dr Claudia Muth, Psychology of Design, Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design, Halle, Germany

Insightful instabilities. The dynamics of an aesthetic encounter

Prof Christer Johansson, jointly with Prof Per Olav Folgerø, Department of Linguistic, Literary, and Aesthetic Studies, University of Bergen, Norway.

Bursaries: a minimum of 30 bursaries (maximum 60) are available for students, doctoral researchers, early career researchers, or junior academics. Each bursary includes hotel accommodation with breakfast and lunch throughout the conference period. Accommodation is 1 person/room for PhD students and higher, and 2 persons/room for everyone else.

To participate, please submit a presentation or workshop abstract, poster title, or, in the case of artists, artwork photos/videos to Tudor Balinisteanu, tudor@texmar.ro by 15 December 2022 (first deadline).

Please check the conference website which will be updated regularly: https://neuroaestheticslab.usv.ro/conference_1/.