Television Show Award Ceremony \\international\media\art\award 2005

New developments in brain research have ignited world wide debate on the question of free will. The source of contention: new imaging technologies, designed to render the process of human thought visible. The human brain is a fascinating cosmos, a highly complex organ and a subject that is explored in every field of science. The \\international\media\award\2005 for science and art is an interdisciplinary event and, as such, invites both artists and scientists alike to explore the questions: how do the images inside our heads work? And how do images of the insides of our heads work?

The power of the new technical images no longer lies in their autonomy or superiority, but rather, in the functions they serve: they help to increase both knowledge and insight. Images produced by Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Functional Magnetic Resonance Tomography (FMRT), real-time Electroencephalography (EEG) and other imaging technologies constitute the most important source of information available to scientists today. It is hoped that, with their help, such things as consciousness, intelligence, memory and feelings can be explained. These images facilitate the analysis of disease which, in turn, results in better therapy.

Images of the brain have become a focal point of attention. But, in contrast to images from the worlds of visual art and film, those from the realm of natural science have no history. To successfully produce an image and interpret it correctly is possible only after repeated attempts. The \\international\media\award\2005 for science and art is looking for images from the boundaries of art and science, images behind which the brain and its functions are concealed – the inner images.
Artists and scientists are invited to explore what these images mean for the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge, and to present their findings for discussion in animations and moving mentalimages.