Event #2: Ellen Levy artist talk


During the Zoom artist talk event with Ellen Levy, one of the topics she introduced that stood out to me was the role of attention in exhibitions. Levy delves into whether technology is outpacing our sensorial capacities and whether training in art enables the individual to create a state of multidimensional awareness (Levy). 


The Gorilla Experiment


The Gorilla Experiment conducted on radiologists

The gorilla experiment on selective attention and inattention blindness was conducted to investigate the potential of art as a vehicle to study attention and its disorders (Levy). Not only does this topic connect to art, but it is also relevant to the study of psychology, as we examined the result that if we are paying very close attention to one thing, we often fail to notice other things in our vision field, even if the object is clearly in front of our eyes (APS). Additionally, another similar study was conducted on medical experts and revealed that most radiologists did not see the superimposed picture of a gorilla until it was pointed out to them, reasoning that even experts can be blind to medical anomalies or early warning signs of illnesses (Academy4SC).  

The 2015 Sleuthing the Mind exhibition encouraged viewers to interact with artworks that aimed to make unconscious processes more conscious. This was achieved by creating experiential situations focusing on attention, emotion, and memory. Luckily, Levy found support for the idea that art can re-direct attention based on studies showing how engagement with art can modify neural pathways and influence cognitive functions, highlighting the potential of art to act as a tool for cognitive enhancement, encouraging viewers to become more aware of their mental processes. This aligns with the broader goal of integrating art and neuroscience to explore the mechanisms of the mind and the transformative power of artistic experiences. I would recommend this event to my classmates. 


Inattention Blindness



Evidence of Attendance



Work Cited: 

Academy4SC. “Selective Attention/ Invisible Gorilla Experiment: See Through Your Focus.” Academy 4SC, https://academy4sc.org/video/selective-attention-invisible-gorilla-experiment-see-through-your-focus/.

APS. “The (Really Scary) Invisible Gorilla – Association for Psychological Science – APS.” Association for Psychological Science, 29 January 2013, https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/were-only-human/the-really-scary-invisible-gorilla.html.

Levy, Ellen K. “An Artistic Exploration of Inattention Blindness.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 5, no. 174, 2011. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2011.00174.


Image Cited:

Spiegel, Alix. “Why Even Radiologists Can Miss A Gorilla Hiding In Plain Sight.” NPR, 11 February 2013, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/02/11/171409656/why-even-radiologists-can-miss-a-gorilla-hiding-in-plain-sight.

Other images are from Zoom



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