Visual Science of Art Conference
The Visual Science of Art Conference (VSAC) was established in 2012 by Professor Baingio Pinna in Alghero, Italy. Its main focus is to better connect the communities of visual scientists and artists in order to deepen our understanding of aesthetic phenomena. The VSAC is an ideal venue to debate and collaborate on all topics associated with the perception and evaluation of artworks.
Typically, VSAC is organized as a satellite conference to the European Conference on Visual Perception and is taking place on an annual basis.
This year ECVP takes place in Bournemouth, UK from 23rd-27th of August, see ECVP 2026 website for details.
VSAC 2026 will take place in London, UK 20th-22nd August 2026. See VSAC 2026 website for details.
History of VSAC
From its beginnings the VSAC has been organized as a satellite conference of the European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP), the leading European conference on visual science.
VSAC and its sister conference ECVP have been hosted each year in different, vibrant cities all over Europe. Starting in 2012 in Alghero (Italy), subsequent meetings were organized in Belgrade (Serbia), Liverpool (UK), Barcelona (Spain), Berlin (Germany), Trieste (Italy), Leuven (Belgium), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Nicosia (Cyprus), Aberdeen (Scotland), and Wiesbaden (Germany).
Wiesbaden, Germany
Aug 21-23, 2025
Organized by
Itay Goetz, Aenne Brielmann, Marella Campagna, Claus-Christian Carbon, Uwe Fischer, Katya Granova, Vera Hesslinger, Pik Ki Ho, Young-Jin Hur, Anya Hurlbert, Angela Kohlrusch, Bodo Korsig, Lisa Koßmann, Ute Leonards, Hong Nguyen, Alexander (Sasha) Pastukhov, Zsofia Pilz, Jurate Rimiskyte, Jakob Roetner, Bilge Sayim, Lotta Straube, Chia-Huei Tseng, Ben van Buren, Lena Kristina Vogl, Maarten Wijntjes, and Qasim Zaidi
Keynotes
- Toward a Theory of Perspective Perception in Pictures by Aaron Hertzmann (Adobe Research)
- When Objects Become Art: The Power of Context by Marina Iosifian (University of St Andrews, UK)
Aberdeen, Scotland
Aug 22-24, 2024
Organized by
Aenne Brielmann, Claus-Christian Carbon, Rachel Elliott, Uwe Fischer, Joanna Ganczarek, Martin Giesel, Itay Goetz, Gregor Hayn-Leichsenring, Constanze Hesse, Young-Jin Hur, Anya Hurlbert, Tammy-Ann Husselman, Mauro Manassi, Jasna Martinovic, Jennifer Mc Namara, Jade McGowan, Hong Nguyen, Alexander (Sasha) Pastukhov, Marius Raab, Jurate Rimiskyte, J Brendan Ritchie, Joana Seabra, Eline Van Geert, Dhanraj Vishwanath, Maarten Wijntjes, Qasim Zaidi, Astrid Zeman, and Ben van Buren
Keynotes
- BinoculART: Pictures for two eyes by Nicholas Wade (University of Dundee, Scotland, UK)
- Wonder, Science and Magic by Irene Brown (Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK)
- The artist’s trace / tracing the artist by Dr Rebecca Chamberlain (Goldsmiths, University Of London, England, UK)
Nicosia, Cyprus
Aug 24-26, 2023
Organized by
Aenne Brielmann, Alessandro Soranzo, Anna Miscenà, Anne Kleindienst, Ben van Buren, Claus-Christian Carbon, Heike Kiesewetter, Ian Verstegen, Itay Goetz, Kyriaki Mikellidou, Lena Kristina Pieper, Maarten Wijntjes, Marius Raab, Qasim Zaidi, Rebecca Chamberlain, Alexander (Sasha) Pastukhov, Uwe Fischer (U Bamberg), and Vera Hesslinger (U Bamberg)
Keynotes
- Experiencing art by Claus-Christian Carbon (University Bamberg, Germany)
- Here’s the thing: On perceiving objects, grounds and backgrounds in the history of art by Jeroen Stumpel (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Aug 24-27, 2022
Organized by
Maarten Wijntjes, Arjan de Koomen, Nim Goede, Catelijne van Middelkoop, Yuguang Zhao, Jeroen Stumpel, Cehao Yu, Margit Lukacs, Mitchell van Zuijlen, David Tiemstra, and Rob van Lier
Keynotes
- The Emancipatory Potential of Neuroart by Nim Goede
- Shifting Realities by Tine Melzer
- PUK* - A Neurodiverse History of Artificial Intelligence by Floris Schönfeld
- At Night I See the Future by Edwin Zwakman
- Noise versus Signal by Coralie Vogelaar
Leuven, Belgium
Aug 21-24, 2019
Organized by
Johan Wagemans
Keynotes
- Opposites attract: The marriage of art and science by Robert Pepperell (Cardiff Metropolitan University, U.K.)
- Colour, Light and Time in Paintings by Anya Hurlbert (Newcastle University, U.K.)
Trieste, Italy
Aug 24-26, 2018
Organized by
Rossana Actis-Grosso and Daniele Zavagno
Keynotes
- The place of contemplation in a world of arts by Michael Kubovy (University of Virginia)
- Macchie, passages and edges lost and found by Jan Koenderink (KU Leuven, Belgium)
Berlin, Germany
Aug 25–27, 2017
Organized by
Claus-Christian Carbon and Joerg Fingerhut
Keynotes
- Art and Wonder by Jesse Prinz (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, City University of New York, Graduate Center, New York)
- Aesthetics and the Brains by Irving Biederman (University of Southern California)
Barcelona, Spain
Aug 26-28, 2016
Organized by
C. Alejandro Parraga
Keynotes
- Realizing Fechner’s Fantasy by Anjan Chatterjee (Pennsylvania Hospital and University of Pennsylvania, USA)
Liverpool, UK
Aug 22-23, 2015
Organized by
Marco Bertamini
Keynotes
- Aesthetic Science: An Ecological Approach. by Steve Palmer (UC Berkeley)
Belgrade, Serbia
Aug 23-24, 2014
Organized by
Slobodan Marković, Oliver Tošković, Ian Thornton, Dejan Todorović, and Sunčica Zdravković
Keynotes
- What is missing for a proper visual science of art? by Johan Wagemans (KU Leuven, Belgium)
Alghero, Italy
Sep 1-2, 2012
Organized by
Baingio Pinna
Keynotes
- Experimental Phenomenology: Art & Science by Jan Koenderink (KU Leuven, Belgium)