In order to test the relationship between art and the transformation of the viewer’s psyche, the artist conducted a study of art viewers using psychological methods, in collaboration with psychologists:  Bogna Bartosz, Ph. D., from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Wrocław and experts from the Ariadna National Research Panel.

Two studies were carried out. The first was combined with a happening and an exhibition of the artist’s paintings for a dedicated group of 23 persons. During the event, participants were invited to have an in-depth contact with art through the use of psychological tools (questionnaires, interview). The study was qualitative and quantitative in nature. It verified, among other things, the hypothesis that there is a relationship between how the viewers and the artist feel. The second study was purely quantitative and was conducted with a group of 76 persons via the Internet. People were divided into 2 groups: experimental and control. The experimental group viewed reproductions of the artist’s paintings, while the control group was exposed to a neutral stimulus, which was maps. In both groups, well-being was studied, analysed on the basis of results of the psychological questionnaire, applied before and after.

The results obtained from each of the studies carried out, confirmed the positive relationship between contact with the art and well -being. A number of factors were also found to be important, such as engagement. It is worthwhile for both the artist and the viewer to be aware of the complexity of the relationship taking place. The artist’s awareness, developed with a psychological context, as the realized project shows, is important for their practice.

A description of the research can be found in the artist’s dissertation An Artist For The World. The World for An Artist, in which she comments on it from her role as its author and researcher. The results of the research in strictly psychological terms are presented in the psychological report appended to the dissertation, prepared by a psychologist, in collaboration with the artist.

Photos: Examples of questionnaires and surveys completed by respondents; The course of the research; The course of the happening. Own materials.