This publication focuses on paintings from the collection of the Kunstmuseum Solothurn. The motivation not to approach the pictures from an art historical perspective, but to invite other researchers to talk about the pictures from their own perspective, is related to a current issue: the relationship between image and science on the one hand, and the relationship between the visual medium and society on the other. This change of perspective, this alien view of art makes the publication an exciting experiment.
Five works from the collection have been selected and put under the microscope. Five scholars from different backgrounds studied these works intensively and came to astonishing results, which were presented in a series of lectures at the Kunstmuseum Solothurn and are now brought together in this publication: The Zurich psychiatrist (and artist) Roman Buxbaum discussed the painting “Der Irrenwärter von Saint-Rémy” (1889) by Vincent van Gogh. / The geologist Christian Schlüchter dealt with the oil painting “Rosalaui” (1869) by Otto Frölicher. / The writer and artist Urs Jaeggi spoke about the assemblage “Un demi mur d’idée” (1980) by Ben Vautier. / The forensic scientist Ulrich Zollinger dealt with the painting “Dead Christ in the Grave” (1580/90) by Hans Bock. / Finally, the film scholar Vinzenz Hediger took up the large-format collage “Topologie der Erinnerung” (1986/87) by Felix Stephan Huber.
This change of perspective, this foreign view of art, vividly demonstrates that visual competence, i.e. the ability to use and interpret images and to be able to talk about images, is one of the basic requirements of virtually every scientific discipline and every technology, and today it links the humanities and natural sciences in equal measure. Experts from various fields can therefore contribute to a history of deciphering, judging and interpreting images.