Athens-based artist Angelo Plessas sits in his gold and silver tent , part of the art exhibition

The Extended Mind exhibition

Exhibition explores the theory that cognition extends beyond the brain to people’s bodies and objects

An art exhibition inspired by the philosophical concept of the ‘extended mind’ is open at the University’s Talbot Rice Gallery until 1 February 2020. It was produced in partnership with researchers from a three-year AHRC research project, ‘The History of Distributed Cognition’, including Senior Lecturer in Philosophy Mark Sprevak.

The exhibition features 12 international artists, including artwork such as a gold and silver tent by Athens-based Angelo Plessas and two large virtual hands making symbolic gestures by Brussel-based Marjolijn Dijkman.

The exhibition also offers an immersive guided tour through Edinburgh ‘Walk, Hands, Eyes (Edinburgh)’ by French artist and choreographer Miriam Lefkowitz.

Walk, Hands, Eyes (Edinburgh) tickets on Eventbrite

The extended mind theory

Philosophers Andy Clark (formerly of the University of Edinburgh) and David Chalmers first developed the idea in the 1990s.

They published the paper ‘The Extended Mind’ in 1998. This paper asked: ‘where does the mind stop, and the rest of the world begin?’.

‘The Extended Mind’ paper by Andy Clark and David J Chalmers  

It questions the boundaries of the brain and technology and how we interact with our surroundings.

Related links

The Extended Mind | Talbot Rice Gallery

The extended mind in science and society | The University of Edinburgh

A History of Distributed Cognition

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