When, why and how are individuals moved by a piece of art in a museum or gallery?

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What links a neuroscientist with a social anthropologist and the UK’s premier independent art charity?

The answer is the visual perception of art. When, why and how are individuals moved by a piece of art in a museum or gallery?

These are the questions to be examined between the world renowned Department of Museum Studies and the Department of Engineering at the University of Leicester, in collaboration with The Art Fund.

Social anthropologist Dr Sandra Dudley, and Professor of Bioengineering Rodrigo Quian Quiroga are each facing what they admit is one of the biggest research challenges of their careers.

Working with the Director of The Art Fund, Mr David Barrie, in the supervision of a new PhD student dedicated to the project, Ms Jennifer Binnie, they will develop a totally new, interdisciplinary approach to the perception of gallery art.

Dr Dudley commented: “What we’re studying is a basic level of human experience of the material and visual world. It doesn’t always happen that an individual will feel the wow factor when they look at a piece of art in a museum, but it does happen sometimes. What causes that? Why does certain art appeal to certain people? What lasting impact does it have on their lives?”

We don't need education, we don't need critics, we don't need art. It is all direct visual stimulation and we can generate inspiration with preset remix of images in the future.