What ARISA did in May!
Integrating the arts and sciences for real-world impact.
Hey folks!
We have a lot of updates about both May as well as events that we’ll be hosting next month!
Upcoming Events
Queer Roundtable
Join us for an open discussion on LGBTQIA+ topics in a safe space on the 8th of June, from 4 to 6 pm! This is a space for asking questions about queer issues and sharing your experiences. Whether you're part of the community, questioning, wanting to support loved ones, or simply looking to learn more, you're welcome here. We can't promise all your questions will be answered, but we can definitely start the conversation. This event is for individuals 18 and older. The venue and other details will be emailed to you once you register.
Register for it through this link and spread the word about it to anyone who might be interested!
Aesthetics Journal Club
The Aesthetics Journal Club (AJC) is a platform to discuss research in the fields of empirical aesthetics, neuroaesthetics, arts, and everything related, whilst also engaging in insightful conversations with people all across the globe virtually. Members are welcome to present their data, practice talks, or get feedback on a new project idea. Our next meeting is already around the corner, and here are the details:
Anna Izountouemoi, will be leading this meeting by exploring how dance expertise enhances sensitivity, drawing from the following research paper - ‘Does Dance Expertise Enhance Sensitivity? A Comparative Study’ by Izountouemoi and Esteves, 2023.
We hope you can familiarize yourself with the literature and join the discussions. If you’re interested in joining the meetings, you can fill out this form or email us at samrddhee.pathare@arisafoundation.org to join the AJC.
Queer Film Screening
Celebrate Pride Month with ARISA by joining us for a special screening of Margarita with a Straw, on the 14th of June! It’s a film that celebrates the beauty of queer narratives through the story of Laila, a young student living with cerebral palsy, who falls in love with a woman and discovers newer horizons in the process.
More details to follow! Stay tuned to our socials!
Queer Mehfil
Do you want to jam out with queer artists?
Join us on the 22nd of June for Queer-a-Mehfil! An evening full of music by queer people, for everyone where you can sing alongside artists of Pune!
If you would like to perform yourself please reach out to us! It could be a dance, poetry, songs, instrumentals - we would be delighted to have you!
It'll be a night to remember! Stay tuned to our socials for more details :)
Workshop - The Science of Engaging With The Arts 🧠🎨
We held our first in a series of workshops targeting people at different career stages and in different fields! This workshop fused the sciences and the arts to explore how we experience the world around us and how that experience shapes us. In particular, the attendees were introduced to how arts and aesthetic experiences can measurably change the body, brain, and behaviour and how this knowledge is translated into specific practices that advance health and well-being.
The workshop was conducted by Dr. Megha Sharda, a cognitive neuroscientist with expertise in understanding the role of music in the brain and its impact on well-being!
For more information about our future workshops and events follow our socials and stay tuned!
Research
Engaging with art “in-the-wild” at the Barnes Foundation and Penn Museum
Another preprint is out! ‘Engaging with art “in-the-wild” at the Barnes Foundation and Penn Museum’ - a project by our own Dr. Kohinoor Darda and amazing co-authors from the Penn Center of Neuroaesthetics including Vicente Estrada Gonzalez, Alexander P. Christensen, Isabella Bobrow, Amy Krimm, Zuha Nasim, Eileen R. Cardillo, William Perthes, and Anjan Chatterjee. You can find the preprint here.
The study investigates how art is perceived and appreciated in physical museums versus digital platforms. It examines the cognitive and emotional impacts of artworks on viewers in these different contexts. Findings indicate that aesthetic experiences are similar across both settings, but viewers report gaining more understanding from art in museums than from digital views. Additionally, individual traits like art experience and openness to experience affect aesthetic impacts differently in museum and lab environments. The study underscores the potential for museums to use digital technologies to enhance their educational missions.
Podcast: Native Narratives
Episode 4 - Museum Musings
The fourth episode of our podcast, Museum Musings, was released on International Museum Day, 18th May!
You can watch it on YouTube or listen to it on Spotify!
This episode is all about museums and the stories that are told through them! This episode was hosted by Madhura Deshmukh, ARISA's Senior Program Coordinator! She spoke to Zheel Naganur and Sayli Kulkarni, who work at the Zapurza Museum of Art & Culture. They gave us insights into what goes on behind the scenes of curations of exhibits or setting up events at a museum, why they feel so passionately about their roles at Zapurza, and why museums are, and always will be, important to our culture!
Blog: Aesthetic Alchemy
The Canvas of Cultures: Exploring Multicultural Art Education in India
Written by ARISA’s research intern Samrddhee Pathare and research volunteers Namisha Chamaria, and Vaishnavi Tiwari, this blog explores art as a powerful and pervasive force that shapes the attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviours of humans.
The universal medium of art naturally extends into educational realms, particularly through multicultural education—a form of teaching that introduces students to various cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and values. As civilizations evolved, language and art became vital conduits for cultural transmission. Interactions across cultures led to the birth and erosion of diverse societies through invasions, colonization, and globalization which prompted the need for multicultural education.
You can read the full blog on our website!
Collaborations
Creative Brain Week 2024
The Brain Health India 2024 event was held at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on May 3, 2024. Linked thematically to Creative Brain Week Dublin 2024 through "Attention, Connection, Love," it facilitated dynamic and insightful discussions. The workshop was a multi-stakeholder participatory co-development session, involving researchers, clinicians, community champions, entrepreneurs, and artists from across India - including Tanvi Raghuram, one of ARISA’s senior research interns. Its goal was to brainstorm and develop individual and collective perspectives on brain health in India. You can read more about the workshop here!
Our Team
We have one new member joining ARISA as a Research Assistant at the beginning of June!
Shriya Parekh (she/her), Research Assistant
Shriya recently completed her post-graduation in Interdisciplinary Studies & Research and holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Human Resource Management from FLAME University. She is carving her career through her love for the social sciences while integrating the brain sciences of cognitive science and neuropsychology. She has worked in the domains of stress and cognition and designing interventions for improving cognitive performance in students. She is passionate about learning both the advances and limitations of the human brain. As a budding researcher, she aims to create meaningful and ethical research that can bridge the translational gap between research and application. Beyond work, she enjoys singing, drawing and reading anything related to the mind.
Thank you for supporting ARISA Foundation! We are a not-for-profit research and social work organization that bridges the arts and sciences to advance academic research in psychology, neuroscience, and neuroaesthetics, preserve tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and promote social change.
With a focus on interdisciplinary approaches, science communication, and community engagement, we aim to make the sciences and arts open, equitable, and accessible to all.
Contact us (info@arisafoundation.org) if you want to know more about our work, collaborate, work, or volunteer with us!