We are pleased to announce that PCMA UW is once again hosting its Heritage Month seminar series. This initiative, started by Dr. Tomomi Fushiya (Head of the Department of Conservation and Heritage at the PCMA UW), aims to introduce archaeologists, conservators, architects, heritage professionals, and students to a diverse spectrum of theoretical and practical approaches in heritage studies—ranging from digital preservation and conservation, through material culture and identity, to heritage science and post-conflict recovery.
First talk will be given by Dr. Tobiasz Trawiński: Seeing Through Visitors’ Eyes: Eye-Tracking as a Tool for Understanding Museum Engagement.
Abstract: Understanding how visitors engage with museum displays is valuable for advancing both visitor studies and curatorial practice. Eye-tracking provides a powerful methodological tool by enabling the systematic analysis of visual attention and its relationship to behaviour in situ. In this talk, I will present findings from three empirical studies conducted at the Courtauld Gallery, the Walker Art Gallery, and Tate Liverpool. At the Courtauld Gallery analysis of gaze behaviour offered new perspectives on aesthetic appreciation, revealing how experts in the history of art perceive artworks differently from non-expert viewers, as well as the temporal dynamics of sustained looking at paintings. The Walker Art Gallery study investigated how visitors allocate attention between artworks depicting people who either did or did not belong to their own communities, highlighting the role of social identity in shaping engagement. At Tate Liverpool, eye-tracking was used to examine how viewers’ psychological profiles influenced patterns of attention across contemporary artworks, which in turn contributed to a deeper aesthetic experience. Taken together, these studies demonstrate the value of eye-tracking for building a more nuanced understanding of visitor engagement that goes beyond self-reports and anecdotal observation.
Tobiasz Trawiński, PhD (Department of Psychology, Liverpool Hope University) is a senior lecturer in Cognitive Psychology. His scientific interests lie at the intersection of cognitive psychology and empirical aesthietics. His research explores the dynamics of how individuals engage with art in cultural and museum environments, considering evidence-based factors that influence the spectator’s experience.
The seminar will be held on Thursday, 2nd October at 5 pm (Warsaw time) on the Zoom platform.
To receive the link, please email: seminarium.pcma@uw.edu.pl