The evolution of imagination. How man became an artist

Thomas Junker, Professor of History of Biosciences at the University of Tübingen and author of several books on the history and theory of evolution biology and anthropology is opening the »7 days are not enough« [7 Tage sind nicht genug] festival on March 23, 2018. The festival is dedicated to the fascination with and wonder at the world and considers where science, philosophy and art meet. 

Children sing and dance, paint pictures and tell stories and they do so voluntarily with seriosity and with joy. As adults, they then often continue their games and if they are pleasing to an audience and can survive the criticism, we call it art.

All of this is so familiar that it’s easy to overlook how unusual this behavior is from a biological perspective. Why did artistic talents and interests develop in evolution? Do they have a direct benefit for survival or are they a dispensable spin-off? Are they cultural inventions or simply technologies of pleasure? And what does this mean for the future of art? As evolution is change: behaviors develop, change and may disappear again.

The talk will outline how evolution biologists are trying to solve the mystery of art and present a new model.