Ladislav Kesner

Ladislav Kesner is an Associate Professor at Masaryk University's Department of Art History and holds the Rudolf Arnheim Professorship at Humboldt University Berlin. His career spans academic, curatorial, and administrative roles, including leadership positions at the National Gallery in Prague and museum consultancy through Cultropa. He focuses on interdisciplinary research at the intersection of art history, neuroscience, and psychology.

• Education: Ph.D. in History of Arts (Masaryk University, 2004); M.A. in Sinology/Oriental Studies/Art History (Charles University, 1985)

Research Interests: Combines art history with cognitive neuroscience, aesthetics, and psychology. Explores visual perception, art theory, and museum visitor studies.

Grants & Appointments: Recipient of prestigious fellowships including Fulbright, Getty, and Smithsonian. Conducted research at institutions like Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin and Getty Research Institute.

• Awards:
  • Gloria Musealis (2012)
  • Josef Krása Prize (1998)
  • Arthur Kingsley Porter Prize (1995)

Teaching & Leadership: Supervised 6 PhD students and 16 MA theses. Led teams in museum management projects and served as deputy director at National Gallery Prague.