, a postdoctoral fellow in the Connected Minds program and affiliated with the Department of Anthropology, and , professor in the Department of Anthropology, brought together artists, social scientists, humanities scholars, health professionals and neuroscientists for a at the Botanical Garden of Medellin in Colombia on Aug. 12 and 13. The event explored how artistic practices can contribute to understanding the brain beyond their therapeutic application and their capacity to support people living with neurological conditions.
Drawing on approaches from science and technology studies, participants examined what happens when neuroscience encounters other ways of knowing grounded in embodiment, sensory experience, narrative, affect and care. Rather than treating art as a way of illustrating scientific knowledge, the gathering approached artistic practice as a form of inquiry that can challenge assumptions and illuminate dimensions of brain health that are otherwise difficult to capture.
The program brought these questions to life through keynote lectures, workshops, film discussions, academic presentations and roundtables. Participants explored experiences ranging from hereditary Alzheimer’s disease and concussion to neurological disability and caregiving, while experimenting with music, movement, performance, sound and life writing as ways of engaging with changing brains and bodies.
“Critical interdisciplinary dialogues,” Elliott explains, “are essential for deepening our understanding of the real and imagined subjective experiences of neurological conditions, whether dementia, brain injuries or strokes.”
The gathering grew out of , a 91ɫ research project supported by Connected Minds that examines the relationship between the historical imperative to remember violence and the intimate struggle against memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Focusing on the in Medellín and communities in northern Antioquia, the event extended some of these questions into a broader interdisciplinary conversation about how different forms of knowledge and practice might shape our understanding of the brain.
Learn more about the Connected Minds project.