Research

Projects

Züricher Hochschule der Künste, Institute for Cultural Studies in the Arts

2012, May to September

Research project at the Institute for Cultural Studies, Prof. Dr. Sigrid Schade in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Basel, Dr. Martina Sauer, FHNW HGK and the Institute of Neurosciences, Parma, Italy, Prof. Dr. Vittorio Gallese with PhD student Katrin Heimann:

»Abstract.Amodal.Affective: Exploring Unconscious Aesthetic Processes in the Creation of Art/Design - A Contribution to the Question of Knowledge and Competence in the Visual Arts«

Project team:

• Applicant: Prof. Martin Wiedmer (FHNW HGK, IDK)
• Co-applicant: Prof. Dr. Sigrid Schade (ZHdK, Zurich)
• Project representative: Dr. Martina Sauer (FHNW HGK) and Katrin Heimann (PhD student, Institute of Neuroscience, Parma)
• Assistants: Jana Kessler (MA graduate, Fashion Institute) and Yolanda Bürgi & Elin Gonzalez (students, Institute of Art) & Silvia Bergmann (filmmaker/technology)

Cooperation partner/practice:

• Prof. Kurt Zihlmann, FHNW, HGK Basel Institute Fashion Design
• Prof. Andreas Wenger, FHNW, HGK Basel, Institute for Scenography and Interior Design, 
• Prof. René Pulfer, FHNW, HGK Basel, Institute of Art
• Prof. Vittorio Gallese M.D, University of Parma, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze - Section di Fisiologia, Universita' di Parma

Cooperation partner/theory:

• Prof. Dr. Sigrid Schade, ZHdK Zurich, Head of the Institute for Cultural Studies in the Arts
• Prof. Dr. Lambert Wiesing, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Chair of Image Theory and Phenomenology
• Prof. Dr. Raphael Rosenberg, University of Vienna, Institute for Art History

Cooperation partners/young scientists:

• Katrin Heimann, PhD student with Vittorio Gallese, Institute of Neuroscience, Parma, Italy
• Dr. Vlad Ionnesco, University of Leuven, Belgium, Philosophy/Art Studies
• Daniel Hug, PhD student, AD Interaction Design, Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK
  

Institute for Image and Cultural Philosophy,

Fresenius Hochschule, University of Applied Sciences

AMD Akademie Mode & Design Hamburg

and Institute of Technology Genua/Parma, Italy

Research Project in Hamburg/Germany

Summer Term 2022

Affective Perception and Design

together with AMD Hamburg / FB Design at Hochschule Fresenius: Prof. Dr. Petra Leutner and the Institute of Technology (IIT) Genoa/Parma, Italy CONTACT lab, Dr. Giuseppe Di Cesare and Giada Lombardi: https://whisperproject.eu/team-lab-robot and students from AMD Hamburg

June 13, 4 p.m. public guest lecture (hybrid) on "Affective Perception and Design" by Dr. Giuseppe di Cesare and PhD student Giada Lombardi ITT Genua/Parma, Italy, AMD / FB Design at Hochschule Fresenius, Alte Rabenstrasse 1, 20148 Hamburg, Room 1.01 (1st floor)

June, 14, lecures and workshop with students and the faculty: Giuseppe Di Cesare on "Affective Perception" and Martina Sauer on "The connection between vitals affects, vital forms and meaning formation: research backgrounds in cultural studies: Hamburg Circle 1919-1933"

German Society for Semiotics. International and interdisziplinary conference  Signs.Cultures.Digitality. TU Landau,  Germany

2024, September 24. -28.

DGS Panel Image & Fashion (Martina Sauer and Petra Leutner): Metaverse - KI and New Aesthetics? hybrid, D/En,. Program

CfP of the panel image and fashion (hybrid, Ger/En) by Martina Sauer (image) und Petra Leutner (fashion) on Metaverse - KI and New Aesthetics?

Keynote speech

Martina Sauer (image and cultural philosophy, Germany)

Giuseppe Di Cesare (neurosciences, Italy) 

Vitality forms in action, speech, and design: a powerful communication tool for social interactions 

Literature:

Di Cesare, Giuseppe et al. The neuronal basis of vitality forms. In National Science Review 7 (2020), 202—13

Lombardi, Giada and Giuseppe Di Cesare. From Neuroscience to Art:

The Role of “Vitality Forms” in the Investigation of Multimodality. In Art Style 10, special issue on Multimodality, edited by Martina Sauer and Christiane Wagner, 09/2022, 11—23

Lombardi, Giada, Martina Sauer and Giuseppe di Cesare. An Affective Perception: How “Vitality Forms” Influence Our Mood? In Art Style 11, special issue on Atmosphere and Mood, edited by Martina Sauer & Zhufez Wang, 03/2023: 127—39

Sauer, Martina. Abstract — Affective — Multimodal. On the processing of moving images following Cassirer, Langer and Krois. In Bildkörper. On the relationship between image technologies and embodiment, hrsg. v. Lars Christian Grabbe, Patrick Rupert-Kruse, Norbert M. Schmitz. Büchner: Darmstadt 2016, 46—71

Sauer, Martina. Developmental Psychology / Neuroscience and Art History - A Contribution to the Discussion of Form as the Basis of Perception and Design Principles. In ejournal.net, June 2011, 1—10

Institute for Image and Cultural Philosophy and the Department of Food and Drug Sciences, University of Parma, Italy

Research Project in Parma/Italy

Summer Term 2025

Neurosciences and Humanities:

Affective Perception - Synchronization Effects - Design

Projekt Team:

Dr. Phil. Martina Sauer (Image and Cultural Philosophie)

Dr. Med. Giuseppe Di Cesare (Neurosciences)

Charlotte Engelke (B.A. Candidate Design)

Project Description:

What constitutes synchronization effects (coordination processes) of opinions, ideas, attitudes in a community? Why and how do they occur? To what extent does this also take place through images?

They are the neuroscientist Giuseppe Di Cesare from the research group form Parma in Italy on mirror neurons and vitality forms and philosopher and image scientist Martina Sauer form the Institute for Image and Cultural Philosophy from Germany and her research on vitality semiotics (VS) and her former student, the B.A. candidate in design, Charlotte Engelke, form the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, AMD, Hamburg, who in their joint research project in Parma are specifically investigating on a neuroscientific basis how synchronization effects are stimulated through design.

Literature:

Di Cesare, Giuseppe et al. The neuronal basis of vitality forms. In National Science Review 7 (2020), 202—13

Lombardi, Giada and Giuseppe Di Cesare. From Neuroscience to Art:

The Role of “Vitality Forms” in the Investigation of Multimodality. In: Art Style 10, special issue on Multimodality, edited by Martina Sauer and Christiane Wagner, 09/2022, 11—23

Lombardi, Giada, Martina Sauer and Giuseppe di Cesare. An Affective Perception: How “Vitality Forms” Influence Our Mood? In: Art Style 11, special issue on Atmosphere and Mood, edited by Martina Sauer & Zhufez Wang, 03/2023: 127—39

Sauer, Martina. Abstract — Affective — Multimodal. On the processing of moving images following Cassirer, Langer and Krois. In: Bildkörper. On the relationship between image technologies and embodiment, hrsg. v. Lars Christian Grabbe, Patrick Rupert-Kruse, Norbert M. Schmitz. Büchner: Darmstadt 2016, 46—71

Sauer, Martina. Developmental Psychology / Neuroscience and Art History - A Contribution to the Discussion of Form as the Basis of Perception and Design Principles. In: ejournal.net, June 2011, 1—10.

Sauer, Martina.Marshall McLuhan in a new light. Old and new methods of influencing emotions in communities of the electronic age. In: Lars Grabbe, Andrew McLuhan & Tobias Held (eds.). Beyond media literacy. Marburg: Büchner 2023, 14-32.

Sauer, Martina. Vitality Semiotics (VS) and the Implications of Synchronization in Frames. Highlighted via the break caused by Katharina Sieverding's Transformers. In: Natalia Igl & Martina Sauer (eds.). Frames and Framing: Dynamic Nature and Material Cognitive Interplays, special issue Zeitschrift für Semiotik, 3/4.

Institute for Image and Cultural Philosophy,  Martina Sauer PhD Phil

and her student B.A. candidate in design,  Charlotte Engelke, form the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, AMD, Hamburg,

and the host institution: Department of Food and Drug Sciences, University of Parma, Italy,  Giuseppe Di Cesare, PhD Med

Research Project

Summer Term 2025

Neurosciences and Humanities:

Affective Perception - Synchronization Effect - Design

What constitutes synchronization effects (coordination processes) of opinions, ideas, attitudes in a community? Why and how do they occur? To what extent does this also take place through images?

They are the neuroscientist Giuseppe Di Cesare from the research group form Parma in Italy on mirror neurons and vitality forms and philosopher and image scientist Martina Sauer form the Institute for Image and Cultural Philosophy from Germany and her research on vitality semiotics (VS) and her former student, the B.A. candidate in design, Charlotte Engelke, form the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, AMD, Hamburg, who in their joint research project in Parma are specifically investigating on a neuroscientific basis how synchronization effects are stimulated through design.

Literature

Di Cesare, Giuseppe et al. The neuronal basis of vitality forms. In National Science Review 7 (2020), 202—13

Lombardi, Giada and Giuseppe Di Cesare. From Neuroscience to Art:

The Role of “Vitality Forms” in the Investigation of Multimodality. In: Art Style 10, special issue on Multimodality, edited by Martina Sauer and Christiane Wagner, 09/2022, 11—23

Lombardi, Giada, Martina Sauer and Giuseppe di Cesare. An Affective Perception: How “Vitality Forms” Influence Our Mood? In: Art Style 11, special issue on Atmosphere and Mood, edited by Martina Sauer & Zhufez Wang, 03/2023: 127—39

Sauer, Martina. Abstract — Affective — Multimodal. On the processing of moving images following Cassirer, Langer and Krois. In: Bildkörper. On the relationship between image technologies and embodiment, hrsg. v. Lars Christian Grabbe, Patrick Rupert-Kruse, Norbert M. Schmitz. Büchner: Darmstadt 2016, 46—71

Sauer, Martina. Developmental Psychology / Neuroscience and Art History - A Contribution to the Discussion of Form as the Basis of Perception and Design Principles. In: ejournal.net, June 2011, 1—10.

Sauer, Martina.Marshall McLuhan in a new light. Old and new methods of influencing emotions in communities of the electronic age. In: Lars Grabbe, Andrew McLuhan & Tobias Held (eds.). Beyond media literacy. Marburg: Büchner 2023, 14-32.

Sauer, Martina. Vitality Semiotics (VS) and the Implications of Synchronization in Frames. Highlighted via the break caused by Katharina Sieverding's Transformers. In: Natalia Igl & Martina Sauer (eds.). Frames and Framing: Dynamic Nature and Material Cognitive Interplays, special issue Zeitschrift für Semiotik, 3/4.

Institute for Image and Cultural Philosophy,  Martina Sauer PhD Phil

and her student B.A. candidate in design,  Charlotte Engelke, form the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, AMD, Hamburg,

and the host institution: Department of Food and Drug Sciences, University of Parma, Italy,  Giuseppe Di Cesare, PhD Med

Research Project

Summer Term 2025

Neurosciences and Humanities:

Affective Perception - Synchronization Effect - Design

What constitutes synchronization effects (coordination processes) of opinions, ideas, attitudes in a community? Why and how do they occur? To what extent does this also take place through images?

They are the neuroscientist Giuseppe Di Cesare from the research group form Parma in Italy on mirror neurons and vitality forms and philosopher and image scientist Martina Sauer form the Institute for Image and Cultural Philosophy from Germany and her research on vitality semiotics (VS) and her former student, the B.A. candidate in design, Charlotte Engelke, form the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, AMD, Hamburg, who in their joint research project in Parma are specifically investigating on a neuroscientific basis how synchronization effects are stimulated through design.

Literature

Di Cesare, Giuseppe et al. The neuronal basis of vitality forms. In National Science Review 7 (2020), 202—13

Lombardi, Giada and Giuseppe Di Cesare. From Neuroscience to Art:

The Role of “Vitality Forms” in the Investigation of Multimodality. In: Art Style 10, special issue on Multimodality, edited by Martina Sauer and Christiane Wagner, 09/2022, 11—23

Lombardi, Giada, Martina Sauer and Giuseppe di Cesare. An Affective Perception: How “Vitality Forms” Influence Our Mood? In: Art Style 11, special issue on Atmosphere and Mood, edited by Martina Sauer & Zhufez Wang, 03/2023: 127—39

Sauer, Martina. Abstract — Affective — Multimodal. On the processing of moving images following Cassirer, Langer and Krois. In: Bildkörper. On the relationship between image technologies and embodiment, hrsg. v. Lars Christian Grabbe, Patrick Rupert-Kruse, Norbert M. Schmitz. Büchner: Darmstadt 2016, 46—71

Sauer, Martina. Developmental Psychology / Neuroscience and Art History - A Contribution to the Discussion of Form as the Basis of Perception and Design Principles. In: ejournal.net, June 2011, 1—10.

Sauer, Martina.Marshall McLuhan in a new light. Old and new methods of influencing emotions in communities of the electronic age. In: Lars Grabbe, Andrew McLuhan & Tobias Held (eds.). Beyond media literacy. Marburg: Büchner 2023, 14-32.

Sauer, Martina. Vitality Semiotics (VS) and the Implications of Synchronization in Frames. Highlighted via the break caused by Katharina Sieverding's Transformers. In: Natalia Igl & Martina Sauer (eds.). Frames and Framing: Dynamic Nature and Material Cognitive Interplays, special issue Zeitschrift für Semiotik, 3/4.