September 2021

Concordia Faculty of Fine Arts Course
Convergence: Art + Neuroscience + Society

Concordia University Fine Arts students across all disciplines, as well as, Ph.D. students of the RI-MUHC Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program (BRaIN), the Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN), and other science graduated students from McGill University are welcomed to participate in the Fall-Winter 6 credits of Special Topics Convergence I & II: Arts+Neuroscience+Society.

This interdisciplinary course invites students to creatively explore the intersection of arts, neuroscience, and society, and how these domains shape the understandings of ourselves and others. Concordia Fine Arts students team with McGill and RI-MUHC BRaIN Program students within the Convergence Initiative frame (www.convergenceinitiative.org) to create self-directed, collaborative projects which converge artistic and scientific research.

The course combines lectures, debates, site visits, and independent study to encourage all participants to understand and discover territories outside their artistic or scientific comfort zones. The course encourages both intimate and large group discussions, as well as expressing arts and science knowledge through production, representations, and artistic as well as communicative outcomes.

  Syllabus at glance

(The following syllabus can be subjected to changes).

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Fall Semester

Research and Development

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Week 1 - Week 2 – Introduction and Philosophy of Science

Introduction, Syllabus detail presentation, Goals, Objectives, and Expectations.

Philosophy of Science, From Plato to Haraway.

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Week 3 - Week 7 – Neuroscience and Arts

Principles of Neuroscience // Playing with neurons.

Sensory System, Vision // Josef Albers, Interaction of Color.

Limbic System, Emotions // Principles of Cinematics. 

Neuroaesthetics // Principles of Artistic Process.

Neuroscience of Creativity // Data Art.

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Week 8 - Week 9 – Ignite Presentations

Science and Arts Cinematic Presentations.

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Week 10 - Week 12 – Science Communication

Data Visualization, Principles of Graphic Design.

Neuropsychology of Factual Communication // Storythinking, thinking in stories.

Emotional Tool to Communicate Science // Storythinking, delivery of your story.

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Week 13 – Responses and Intermediate Critique

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Winter Semester

Production and Presentation

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Week 1 - Week 11 – Production

The whole semester is dedicated to the production of art based in the collaboration between scientists and artists in each team.

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Week 1 - Week 2 – Virtual Site Visits

The Black Box. A virtual visit to science labs.

The White Box. A Virtual Tour to the art studios.

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Week 3 - Week 5 – Art-Science Debates

Week 6 – Week 11 – Production and Meetings by Appointment

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Week 12 - Week 13 - Final Critique and Art Installation

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Week 14 to Week 16 - Exhibition and Arts-Neuroscience Symposium