Season 2018-2019.
September 2018
DART498 CART498 DART631
September 2018
DART498 / CART498 / DART631
Convergence I & II: Arts+Neurosciences
Overview Fine Arts
Fine arts students across all disciplines are invited to participate in 6 credits of Special Topics Convergence I: Arts+Neuroscience (fall) and Convergence II (winter).
This interdisciplinary course invites students to creatively explore the intersection of arts, neuroscience, and society, and how these domains shape the understandings of ourselves and others. Concordia Fine Arts students work with the RI-MUHC Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience program (BRaIN) and McGill IPN students within the Convergence, Perceptions of Neuroscience initiative (www.convergenceinitiative.org) to create self-directed, collaborative projects which converge artistic and scientific research. The course combines lectures, debates, site visits, and independent study to encourage all participants to understand and discover territories outside their artistic or scientific comfort zones. The course encourages both intimate and large group discussions, as well as expressing arts and science knowledge through production, representations, and outcomes.
..........................................
Convergence, Perceptions of Neuroscience is an independent initiative developed in partnership with the Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) Program of the RI-MUHC and Concordia Faculty of Fine Arts. It is supported by the Canadian Association for Neuroscience, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University Integrative Program in Neuroscience, the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, and The Visual Voice Gallery.
The official name of the course for Fine Arts students:
Fall DART498/2 B Special Topics in Design: Convergence I
Winter DART498/4 AA Special Topics in Design: Convergence II
Fall CART498/2 B Special Topics in CART: Convergence I
Winter CART498/4 C Special Topics in CART: Convergence II
​
Time: Fridays 5 to 9 PM
​
Permission: Department of Design and Computation Arts.
​
To register: Contact Michelina Sardella-Trapid michelina.sardella@concordia.ca
Please note:
YOU MUST REGISTER FOR BOTH, FALL AND WINTER TO BE ACCEPTED.
Convergence I & II: Arts+Neurosciences
Overview Neurosciences
Concordia Faculty of Fine Arts Special Topics in Visual Communication, DART631. Convergence I & II: Arts + Neuroscience (fall & winter 2018-2019). 16 weeks distributed over two semesters.
This interdisciplinary course invites Ph.D. students of the RI-MUHC Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience program (BRaIN) and Ph.D. students of the McGill University Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN) to creatively explore the intersection of neuroscience, arts, and society, and how these domains shape the understandings of ourselves and others. BRaIN and IPN students work with Concordia Fine Arts students within the Convergence, Perceptions of Neuroscience initiative (www.convergenceinitiative.org) to create self-directed, collaborative projects which converge scientific and artistic research. The course combines lectures, debates, site visits, and independent study to encourage all participants to understand and discover territories outside their scientific and artistic comfort zones. The course promotes both intimate and large group discussions, as well as expressing science and arts knowledge through production, representations, and outcomes.
..........................................
Convergence, Perceptions of Neuroscience is an independent initiative developed in partnership with the Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) Program of the RI-MUHC and Concordia Faculty of Fine Arts. It is supported by the Canadian Association for Neuroscience, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill University Integrative Program in Neuroscience, the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, and The Visual Voice Gallery.
The official name of the course for Neuroscience students:
Fall-Winter DART631/3 C Special Topics in Visual Communication: Convergence I & II
Time: Fridays 5 to 9 PM
Permission: Integrative Program in Neurosciences, McGill University.
To register: Vivian Omune ipn@mcgill.ca
Please note:
This 3-credit course spans across the fall and winter semesters.
Due to limited space, a selection process will be held. You must submit a letter of interest.
About copyrights: The DART Syllabus course has been designed and prepared in an equal contribution by Cristian Zaelzer, Ph.D. in Sciences and Bettina Forget, MA.in Art Education. It is protected by copyright law, and it can not be used or reproduce without the explicit consent of the authors. If you have any questions or you wish to use sections of this syllabus, please write to the authors to obtain information and permission.
About Fine Arts and Neuroscience specific sections in the syllabus: The DART course has been designed to deliver six credits for Fine Arts students and three credits for Neuroscience students. There are specific sections that require 100% attendance for Fine Arts or Neuroscience students; those sections are marked with a red  and a blue  apple respectively.
About the dates in the syllabus: This course outline and schedule could be subjected to change.
..........................................
Semester 1: Research and Development
Week 1 
Week 1, Sept 7, 2018
Introduction
Introduction of the Professors (10 minutes)
Syllabus Introduction (15 to 20 minutes)
What is Science? (1 hour)
A Brief History of Modern Science.
What is the Scientific Method, and where did it come from?
What is Art? (1 hour)
A Brief Overview of Contemporary Art
Artwork at the Intersection of Art and Science
Questions, expectations, comments (30 minutes)
Week 2 - Week 5 
Neuroscience for the Arts
Week 2, Sept 14, 2018
Learning a New Language: Neuroscience
From molecules to networks. Plans, Messengers, Building Blocks, Architecture (DNA, mRNA, Proteins, Cells).
Neurons, Glia, Circuits.
Methods to study neuroscience.
Week 3, Sept 21, 2018
Spying on the World: The Sensory System
Light touching the world, Vision.
It’s all about vibrations, Auditory and Vestibular Systems.
Texture comes from contact, Somatosensory System.
Week 4, Sept 28, 2018
Keep me safe, keep me alive
Emotion, Memory, and Learning. Reward System.
Week 5, Oct 5, 2018
If I verbalize it, it exists
Speech and Language. Neurolinguistics. Synesthesia.
Week 6 - Week 9 
Ignite Presentations
Week 6, Oct 12, 2018
Ignite presentations by Fine Arts students
Discussion
Week 7, Oct 19, 2018
Ignite presentations by Neuroscience students
Discussion
Week 8, Oct 26, 2018
Ignite presentations by Fine Arts students
Discussion.
Week 9, Nov 2, 2018
Ignite presentations by Neuroscience students
Discussion
Week 10 - Week 13
Team Building and SciComm for Neuroscientists
Week 10, Nov 9, 2018
Data Visualization (SciComm) 
Workshop directed to neuroscientists by a member of the Computational Arts & Design Department.
Fine Arts Submission of Research Questions.
Submission of research questions, methodology to develop them, and tentative groups where they would like to work their research (With which neuroscientist I would like to work).
Week 11, Nov 16, 2018 
Art-Science Debates (SciComm).
Groups composed of 4 students choose two papers to read and debate. One of the papers will support the view the other paper will oppose it.
Subjects: TBD
Week 12, Nov 30, 2018 
Art-Science Debates (SciComm).
Groups composed of 4 students choose two papers to read and debate. One of the papers will support the view the other paper will oppose it.
Subjects: TBD
Week 13, Dec 7, 2018
Project Proposal Submission (Fine Arts)
At this point, the groups Artist(s)-Neuroscientist(s) should already be established.
Neuroscience Submission of Project Goals.
Semester 2: Production and Presentation
Week 1 - Week 2
Site Visits
Week 1, Jan 11, 2019 
The Black Box
Open Labs, Visit of the BRaIN Program of the MUHC facilities
Neuroscience Talk (TBD)
Social
Week 2, Jan 18, 2019 
The White Box
Guided tour to the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montreal and one contemporary art gallery in Montreal
Fine Arts Talk (TBD)
Social
Week 3 - Week 6
Artistic Production and SciComm for Neuroscientists
Week 3, Jan 25, 2019 
Studio time (Fine Arts Students)
Conspiracy Theories (SciComm)
Charismatic Leaders. Confirmation Bias. BackFire Effect
Week 4, Feb 1, 2019 
Intermediate Critique Session.
Week 5, Feb 8, 2019 
Studio time (Fine Arts Students)
Avoidance of Complexity (SciComm)
Causality and Filling the Ignorance Gap. Risk Perception and Probabilities.
Week 6, Feb 15th 
Studio time (Fine Arts Students)
Knowledge Translation (SciComm)
Week 7
Site Visits
Week 7, March 1, 2019 
SenseLab
Visit Concordia Faculty of Fine Arts studios for Neuroscience students.
Week 8 - Week 11
Production
March 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2019 
Meetings by appointment
(at least one appointment per group).
During this time artist and scientist work on their final projects.
Week 12 - Week 13 
Final Critique and Art Installation
Week 12, April 5, 2019
The Arts-Neuroscience teams present their works. These works should be in at 90% level of completion.
SciComm Paper delivery deadline. Neuroscientist deadline to submit their outreach paper.
Week 13, April 12, 2019
Art installation during April 10th and 11th. Exhibition Vernissage on April 12th.
The Arts-Neuroscience teams present their works. These works should be in a 100% level of completion.
Week 14 to Week 16 
Exhibition and Arts-Neuroscience Symposium
April 12, 19, and 29, 2019
Artists: Exhibition of curated artworks at Visual Voice Gallery (other locations TBD).
Neuroscientists: Neuroscience-Arts Symposium. This is the presentation of the final project of neuroscience students, where they will show their new re-created science to the general audience and linked to a short presentation of the works of art exhibited in the galleries.
Combined Syllabus
Convergence I & II: Arts+Neurosciences
