Well, That’s Beautiful! A Series of Art Discussions
The "Well, That's Beautiful!" project is a series of conversations with experts who, from their respective fields of study, attempt to answer the question of what beauty is. Together with our guests, we explore why art evolved, whether there are neural foundations dedicated to interpreting it, and whether aesthetics can be reduced to known economic criteria - in other words, is the most expensive artwork the most beautiful?
Project
Well, That’s Beautiful! is a series of ten conversations published on the Copernicus YouTube channel, where we sought answers to the question of what beauty is. With invited guests, we tackled questions about the evolutionary nature of beauty, its cultural and historical context, and the universal or subjective criteria for evaluation. Each invited expert represented a different field of study and profession, allowing the topic of beauty to be discussed from many different perspectives. Our guests included Włodzisław Duch (neuroscience), Jerzy Luty (evolution), Dominika Dudek (psychiatry), Edward Nęcka (psychology), Grzegorz Jankowicz (literature), Piotr Augustyniak (philosophy), Monika Koperska (chemistry and optics), Wojciech Szafrański (law and art market), Anna Muszyńska (collection building), and Adrianna Krawcewicz (digital art). The project also included a workshop component, conducted in collaboration with the National Museum in Kraków, featuring five live meetings on the following topics: Trends and Directions in 20th Century Polish Art; Composition Tricks; How to Read Art?; Does Art Have to Be Beautiful?; Visual Forms of Speaking About Important Matters. The aim of the project was to expand knowledge about art, apply this knowledge in practice, and provide an interdisciplinary presentation of the concept of beauty – from evolutionary theory to optics, law, economics, and artificial intelligence.
Funded with 42,000.00 PLN by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage under the Cultural Education 2022 program.