Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The article argues that Austrian Expressionism, exemplified by the works in the Psyche and Provocation exhibition room at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere (The Austrian Gallery) in Vienna, provides a compelling case for studying art experience due to its emotional intensity and radical aesthetics. By integrating Walter Benjamin’s concept of aura with Eric Kandel’s insights from brain and cognitive sciences, the study explores how the experience of these artworks is shaped by their materiality, spatial context, and the viewer’s potential psychological engagement. This analysis contributes to debates on authenticity, the role of museums and the evolving nature of visitor experience in the (post-)digital age. Further, it highlights the continued relevance of Benjamin’s aura concept while integrating contemporary cognitive perspectives on art perception.
Source: Museum and Society
Authors: Hanna Brinkmann, Johanna Aufreiter
Language: English
Subfield: Visual Arts and Performing Arts
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7162109727
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