Abstract
How do viewers engage with abstract images when given insight into their material and conceptual genesis? This study explores how digital mediation—through short artist videos—can transform aesthetic experience and democratize access to abstract visual languages. The study took place during the exhibition Flattened Intensities, Intensified Flatness (BAC Art Lab, Leuven, 2022), where 103 participants viewed the same artworks twice: first without any prior information, and again after watching a video in which the artists explained their intentions, materials, and techniques. Using a combination of mobile eye-tracking and questionnaires, we examined how participants perceived and appreciated the works before and after receiving contextual information. We found that participants’ preferences shifted markedly. Artworks initially favored for their vibrant color were, after contextualization, more frequently outshone by subtler, conceptually richer pieces whose meaning became clearer through the added information. Eye-tracking data showed that viewers looked more frequently and longer at specific material features highlighted in the video, particularly in artworks involving unusual or fragile media. Beyond gaze patterns, bodily engagement with the artworks deepened: viewers stood closer, looked longer at details, and explored artworks more deliberately. Interestingly, the most emotionally resonant pieces were not always those viewed the longest, challenging assumptions about viewing duration and aesthetic value. This study highlights how interpretive framing, even when digitally mediated, can reorient perception, foster empathy with artistic processes, and open abstract art to wider audiences.
Presenters
Stefanie De WinterPost-doctoral Researcher, Art History, KU Leuven, Belgium Hanne Daenen
Student, Master of Psychology, KU Leuven, Vlaams Brabant (nl), Belgium Johan Wagemans
Professor, Brain and Cognition, University of Leuven, Vlaams Brabant (nl), Belgium Christopher Linden
Student, PhD, KU Leuven, Belgium
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2025 Special Focus—From Democratic Aesthetics to Digital Culture
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT ART, DIGITAL CONTEXT, AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT, MATERIAL PERCEPTION, ART ACCESSIBILITY
