The measurement of beauty

For centuries, artists and philosophers have debated the nature of beauty and wondered whether there are any characteristics that beautiful objects have in common, though without any agreement. Symmetry and proportion may be a feature of beautiful architecture, but how can they be applied to colour, for example? This paper gives an introduction to neuroesthetics and to what is beautiful…

Semir Zeki is Professor of Neuroesthetics at University College London (UCL). His primary interests are the functional organization of the visual brain, the neurobiology of knowledge, and the neural sources of aesthetic appreciation and creativity. Prof. Zeki has written a number of books, lectures widely, and has received a number of prestigious awards including the Erasmus Medal from the Academia Europaea in 2008.

Go to conference programme

Find out more about the other speakers here