ART
CARSTEN HÖLLER
interview by OLIVIER ZAHM
portraits by PIERRE BJÖRK
is there such a thing as an artistic brain?
the former scientist explores new possibilities for the mind and unlocking its potential through art
OLIVIER ZAHM — Is there such a thing as an artistic brain? Or is it just a cliché?
CARSTEN HÖLLER — Well, it’s a bit like asking the question, “Is there such a thing as a murderer’s brain?” Many of the world’s museums — Montpellier has a beautiful one [the Museum and Conservatory of Anatomy] — have collections of murderers’ brains. I’m not aware that anyone has studied artists’ brains in the same way. I always found the way scientists approach the brain interesting because they think they’ll eventually be able to understand consciousness — it’s only a matter of time, and effort, and the number of machines at their disposal. But you cannot understand…