Hanna Brinkmann

Dr. Hanna Brinkmann is a Senior Researcher at the Center for Cultures and Technologies of Collecting at the University of Continuing Education Krems, Austria. Her interdisciplinary work bridges art history, empirical aesthetics, and digital humanities, with a focus on understanding how people engage with visual culture through both traditional and digital means. She employs cutting-edge methodologies like eye-tracking to investigate cultural influences on art perception and develops innovative approaches to museum experiences.

Her research interests center on reception aesthetics, visual culture studies, and empirical methods for analyzing art perception. Dr. Brinkmann specializes in using physiological measures to objectively study subjective aesthetic experiences, examining how cultural background, exhibition design, and digital mediation affect viewer responses. She has pioneered mobile eye-tracking studies in museum settings and developed the MuseumsMenschen-Web-App for participatory engagement with urban museum collections. Her work increasingly explores the therapeutic applications of art experiences, particularly for aging populations and those with dementia.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the evolving relationship between physical and digital art experiences. She has conducted groundbreaking research on how different presentation formats (original artworks versus digital surrogates) affect aesthetic responses, with particular attention to cultural diversity in perception patterns. Her work demonstrates how eye-tracking data can inform museum curation practices and digital interpretation strategies. A significant portion of her recent research investigates practical applications of art engagement for health promotion, especially in the context of dementia care and healthy aging.

Dr. Brinkmann is actively involved in several major research initiatives including the FWF-funded 'Art Experience in the (Post-)Digital Age' project (2024-2027), where she serves as project lead investigating how digital surrogates affect aesthetic experiences compared to original artworks. She also contributes to the 'Gesundes Museum' project exploring how museums can support health promotion for older adults, and the 'Industriekultur im Dialog' project examining participatory approaches to industrial heritage collections. Her work with the Krems Arts Education & Dementia Initiative (KAEDI) demonstrates her commitment to translating academic research into practical, socially beneficial outcomes.

As a member of professional associations including ICOM Austria, the German Art Historians Association, DArtist Austria, and VöKK – Association of Austrian Art Historians, Dr. Brinkmann maintains strong connections with the international art history and museum communities. Her presentations at conferences like Museums and the Internet, DHd, and dementia care forums showcase her interdisciplinary approach and commitment to knowledge exchange across academic and professional boundaries.