PROF. DR. WILHELM VOSSENKUHL
Truth in the arts and how we can understand it
Lecture on October 17, 2025
Unlike science and law, art is not bound to truth.
But this is precisely what enables it to provide unique experiences and insights.
And aesthetic experience may even provide important inspiration for other areas of society—from the scientific and legal search for truth to decision-making in politics and economics to imaging techniques in medicine.
Works of art of all genres can reveal something that we would not be able to recognize without them. They then do what corresponds to the Greek word for truth, aletheia.
The philosopher Martin Heidegger pointed this out and explained it using Vincent van Gogh's shoes. The picture opens up the world of the farmer's wife who wore the shoes in the field.
The idea of revelation through works of art is supported by studies that show a connection between works of visual art and economic developments over the centuries since 1400. These findings were obtained with the help of AI.
PROF. DR. WILHELM VOSSENKUHL
The topic of art and truth is addressed by Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Vossenkuhl,
who is qualified for this not only as Professor of Philosophy at LMU Munich, but also as a long-standing collaborator of designer Otl Aicher and as an advisor in the transformation of the German Reichstag building in Berlin by Norman Foster.
In addition, Professor Vossenkuhl is an expert in ethics and, as long-time curator of the Korbinian Kolleg, highly experienced with its unique discussion format.
