
The Laboratory of Neuroaesthetics, which is the result of the collaboration between the European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS) and the Museo Galileo in the framework of the Tuscany Health Ecosystem (THE) project, was inaugurated on Friday, March 7. Through the use of innovative scientific protocols, the Laboratory will measure the well-being of people exposed to Museo Galileo’s historical/scientific collections and, forward-looking, to cultural and artistic practices, thus fostering a deeper understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying aesthetic perception. This approach opens up new perspectives in research into the relationship between culture and the human mind, and also provides useful elements to configure museums—and other educational and cultural spaces—as places of healing. The Laboratory will soon be open to visitors who on a voluntary basis wish to undergo the measurements, which will be conducted anonymously.
The March 7 event consisted of two moments. The morning session was attended by Alessandra Gallone, Advisor to the Italian Minister for University and Research Anna Maria Bernini; Alessandra Petrucci, Rector of the University of Florence; Elisabetta Cerbai, LENS Director; Francesco Pavone, LENS and Department of Physics, University of Florence, and Museo Galileo’s President; Roberto Ferrari, Museo Galileo’s Executive Director.
The afternoon workshop provided an important opportunity to explore the role of neuroscience in the aesthetic experience in museums and to initiate new collaborations with experts in this field and museums on a national and international level.