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Arts & Communication Cognition and cultural mediation

under three different priming conditions: (1) Semantically representation of the learning content at the first contact
related; (2) non-related titles but corresponding to the between text and image. However, if the information
images; and (3) no title (presented as the letter string “no between them is contradictory, this mental representation
title”). Participants were asked to indicate how much they is blurred, and it is possible to find discrepancies between
liked the painting by scoring on a Likert scale from 1 (I do text and image.
not like the painting at all) to 4 (I like the painting very Considering the relevance of the studies on the influence
much). In the case of figurative paintings, the semantic of semantic priming on the perception of an artwork, we
priming of the original titles facilitated subsequent attempted to understand to what extent semantic priming
processing, which led to a more positive esthetic can influence the viewer’s perception of an artwork. In this
appreciation. The research also found that semantically perspective, we specifically work on the possible effects of
related titles (non-related titles but corresponding to the presentation of different texts on the interpretation of
pictures) enhanced positive emotional responses to art and a painting by the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky (1866
made art more understandable. In contrast, misleading – 1944). Our textual information is divided into three
titles led to a more negative evaluation of the artwork. different conditions: (1) Original title and text with the
These results confirm the findings of Leder et al.’s study . actual information about the painting and the author; (2)
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This may be a significant difference in the way viewers fictitious title and fictitious text emphasizing some figurative
interpret a work of art. elements; and (3) no information about the artwork. The
The same effect can also occur in other artistic hypothesis we put forward here is that the given text, correct
languages. The audience’s interest can be broadened by or incorrect, significantly influences the visualization of the
the information that an exhibition can make tangible. elements in the painting. We hypothesize that the groups
In a conceptual art exhibition, for example, the title receiving the texts would show significant results that the
of the artwork can be of fundamental importance in texts have an influence on how the artworks are interpreted
enabling different interpretations. Silvia investigated and what meaning they are given.
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whether textual information would facilitate the esthetic The study presented here offers a new perspective
appreciation and understanding of a literary work. on semantic priming. First, we conducted the study in a
Participants were asked to read a poem and report on pandemic scenario in which respondents were contacted
their level of interest and understanding of the work. exclusively through the Internet. Second, the study enrolled
They were divided into two groups: a control group and participants with similar conditions for answering the
an experimental group. In the control group, participants questionnaire – they are all students of the same course.
were only given information about the title of the poem, Apart from these points, it is worth mentioning that
the name of the book, and the author of the work, but no research on semantic priming is scarce but fundamental to
other information that would improve their understanding the reception and interpretation of art.
of the artwork was provided. In the experimental group,
The choice of artwork and artist was largely influenced
participants received additional information about the by the artist’s abstract technique. Abstractionism is
meaning of the title and the content of the artwork. The
author discovered that the group receiving the additional presented as a significant break with figurative art. At this
information found the poem more interesting. It was moment, colors and shapes (whether geometric or not)
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concluded that the additional information about the become the focus of paintings. Kandinsky and other
abstract artists such as Mondrian appreciated rhythm
meaning of the poem improved the ability to understand in their works. When we talk about rhythm, we refer to
the poem and that this understanding heightened interest the composition of the works, especially the grouping
in the poem. 19
of shapes and colors. In the artwork “Composition IV”
However, the effect of priming on the viewer can vary. (1911), which was used in this research, the artist ventures
According to a study by Schüler, one group received into shapes and the use of colors, especially blue and
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related textual and image information, while another yellow. According to Kattchee, the artist establishes a
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received conflicting information between the image figure–ground relationship within the abstract forms,
and the text. When the group that received conflicting particularly in the center of the painting. The central blue
information was asked about the differences between the shape pushes over the surrounding shapes, creating a sense
text and the picture, the participants were able to perceive of movement in the painting. The blue shape also gives the
these differences. The priming influence can therefore impression that the painting has more than one plane. The
be interrupted when there is a conflict between the artist applied his own theory that blue advances over other
information. This also indicates that there is a clear mental colors while yellow recedes. 22

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 4 doi: 10.36922/ac.2105