Volume! in Rome transforms into a neuroscientific laboratory

The Roman art space Volume! (also known as Fondazione Volume) is undergoing a radical transformation for 2019, becoming a laboratory at the intersection of art and neuroscience. Founded over 20 years ago by Franco Nucci, a world-renowned neurosurgeon, the non-profit space has always been a perceptual experiment, but now it will explicitly study visitors' sensory reactions to artworks. The gallery has been redesigned by architects 2A+P/A (Gianfranco Bombaci and Matteo Costanzo): a neutral semi-oval corridor 90 cm wide leads to a small room with a vaulted floor (originally by Bernard Rudiger, photographed by Mimmo Jodice). Visitors, alone and without electronic devices, will spend a set time with the artwork; their anonymous impressions will be collected for research. No openings, labels, or artist names will be provided to avoid biasing perception. The first intervention runs from February 7 to 27, 2019, by appointment only. A second phase will involve scientific institutions studying two groups: under-15s and early-stage Alzheimer's patients. The project will last at least one year, culminating in a book and conference. Nucci aims to 'give meaning to our senses' and explore potential therapeutic properties of art.