Position

I work as a philosopher at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain/Faculty of Philosophy, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Within HU, I hold the position of scientific director for the “Research Platform Neurourbanism” (RPN) and principal investigator for the EU project “Art and Research on Transformations of Individuals and Societies” (ART*IS). In my research group, I combine these scientific projects. Find more on my academic background (incl. bio and CV) here.

Research

My work is at the intersection of 4EA (embodied, embedded, extended, enactive, affective) cognitive science and theories of culture, media, and art. I have been working on a new cognitive media theory for the last decade, with special attention to images and film. My current focus is on the philosophy of the city that I pursue as a theory of neurourbanism that explores the built environment's impact on mental health and well-being. Another focus is on art and transformation, particularly on how artworks offer forward-looking models. On this website, I highlight my contributions across these interrelated fields.

News

The beginning of 2024 is dedicated to finishing a book that introduces theories of seeing (in German: “Theorien des Sehens zur Einführung,” with Eva Schürmann) and to working on papers and presentations on beauty and wonder in urban environments, building on research we did as part of experiments on interior urbanism and the “Your Emotional City” citizen science project.

  • The Aesthetic Self

    Experimental Philosophy| Emotions| Preferences| Moral Values| Personal Identity| Paper

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  • Art and Embodied Aesthetic Emotion

    Kara Walker| Philosophy of Psychology| Exploration| Evaluation| Draft Paper

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  • Report on a 4EA Theory of Art

    Transformative Aesthetics| Neuroaesthetics| Enactive Cognition| ART*IS| Project

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  • Report on Art in Urban Settings

    Public Art| Urban Design| Intervention| Neurourbanism| Aesthetics| ART*IS| Project

    Träume

  • Aesthetic Affordances in Neurourbanism

    Beauty| Interest| Awe| Social Cohesion| Exploration| Evaluation| Draft Paper

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Art and Embodied Aesthetic Emotion Kara Walker | Philosophy of Psychology | Exploration | Draft Paper

Art and Embodied Aesthetic Emotion Kara Walker | Philosophy of Psychology | Exploration | Draft Paper

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Arts and Minds Lab

At Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin I have a research group on transformative aesthetics, the Arts and Minds Lab. This is where most of my research happens. We focus mainly on one question — addressed both theoretically and experimentally — How do the arts transform us over time?

To understand how our current technology (AI, social media, etc.) and cultural artifacts (film, Images, architecture, cities, etc.) impact the mind we aim to span different disciplines (data science, psychology, cognitive neuroscience) and to collaborate with citizen scientists and practitioners. The same holds for our art research, where we combine psychological research with joint activities with museums and galleries.

Talks and Teaching

I have been a Visiting Professor for Philosophy of Mind at the LMU Munich and also regularly teach a block course on “Art, Aesthetics, and Media” at a Goldsmiths Master Program. Learn more about my teaching here.

I give most of my talks at conferences and academic workshops. But I will also list some more internal presentations in our projects as well as more public panel discussions and talks at museums and citizen projects.