Fondazione Prada Works to Bridge The Gap Between Natural and Social Sciences

The institution works to advance our understanding of the brain’s structural, functional and biochemical articulation in a new series titled “Human Brains.”

  • Author: Valerie Stepanova

Following up on their previous interdisciplinary project, Fondazione Prada is coming to us with a new approach to the exploration of contemporary art. Launching this week is an ambitious, multi-disciplinary venture dubbed “Human Brains” — a series of educational events and exhibitions that will work to advance our understanding of the brain’s structural, functional and biochemical articulation and bridge the gap between natural and social sciences.

Co-chaired by fashion icon Miuccia Prada, the Fondazione commissioned a scientific board and explored existing research that uncovered the need for multi-disciplinary thinking. Following its core mission, “Human Brains” takes the knowledge possessed by best-known researchers and scholars in neuroscience-related fields and will use it to encourage conversation on the complexity of the brain in the general public over the next two years. Rome wasn’t built in a day, or so they say.

The series will kick off with an online conference titled “Culture and Consciousness” that will take place from November 9 to November 13 and will see five daily discussions focused on conscience in neuroscience. The list of key speakers will include:

Ian Tattersall: Curator Emeritus with the American Museum of Natural History

Antonio Damasio: the David Dornsife Chair in Neuroscience, Professor of Psychology, Philosophy and Neurology at the University of Southern California and adjunct professor at the Salk Institute

Giulio Tononi: David P. White Chair in Sleep Medicine, Distinguished Chair in Consciousness Science at the University of Wisconsin.

The project will then continue into 2021 wherein Fondazione Prada will host an international conference and exhibition at its venue in Milan.
Closing off the “Human Brains” series, Fondazione Prada’s Venetian venue will host an installation entirely dedicated to studies of the brain during the 2022 Venice Art Biennale art exhibition.

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