Pune-based ARISA was founded by Kohinoor Darda, who has a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience and researches how the brain and mind are engaged and influenced by art, and how humans navigate in their social world.
Half a dozen almost-identical faces of women stare from a wall, and you need to select the one you want to be friends with. A closer look at the images reveals certain differences. You begin to distance yourself from some, ignore a couple, and warm towards others until you pick the most beautiful face to be your friend.
There is no wrong answer – except when your guide informs you, “What if I told you that this is a serial killer? You wouldn’t want to be friends with her then, right?”
This exercise is a demonstration of snap judgment, wherein the brain has limited amount of information, but needs to make a decision. It takes whatever information it has available, compares it to past experiences or patterns, and arrives at a decision.
“This isn’t a foolproof method at all. Instead, it amounts to prejudice, even profiling. If we flip this, what we see is that we believe that beauty is good by itself. We tend to presume that anything that’s beautiful or looks presentable is automatically good because we associate positive qualities with beauty,” says the guide.
Titled ‘The Speed of Judgement’, this is one of the experiences that are on offer at Art of Perception, an exhibition that unites brain science, mental health, and art. It is being held at RRBCEA, the Empress Botanical Garden, Pune, as part of a Creative Lab Festival till May 17.
Art of Perception is organised by Pune-based ARISA Foundation, which integrates art, neuroscience, and psychology to promote mental health and well-being. ARISA was founded by Kohinoor Darda, who has a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience and researches how the brain and mind are engaged and influenced by art, and how humans navigate in their social world.
At the beginning of the exhibition, you are told that it is built on a simple idea that the brain, the mind, and the body together create a person’s experience of the world.
“When you become aware of this, you can gently support your well-being and move at your own pace,” says Hansika Mangwani, a new media and mixed media artist from ARISA Foundation.
The exhibition is split into seven zones, of which the seventh comprises outdoor installations. A tour of the seven zones begins with the bio-feedback zone titled Effection, where a sensor records the visitor’s heart rate data, which is reflected in the light and sound patterns of the room. If a person practises breathing and lowers their heart rate, they will see that the room will also calm down.
In the next few rooms, which range from the Aesthetic Triad to the Illusion Zone, you understand how different parts of the brain respond to varied sensations, from visual cues to pattern spotting; you understand the power of making repetitive patterns in grounding you, and how perception works. An image of a skull begins to reveal a completely different figure, while an image of snakes appears to move.
An important part of the show is artwork by neurodiverse individuals, which attempts to sensitise viewers into the value of different expressions in art and in society. By the time the exhibition winds up at the section titled The Living Pause, you are a little more aware of your breath, thoughts, and yourself in your surroundings.
