The relation of agency with facial icons in the light of the mechanisms of embodied emotion: an approach of experimental psychology at the service of an anthropology of art 

Jury 
• M. Jérôme Pelletier (Directeur de thèse), Université de Brest 
• M. Gwenaël Kaminski (Co-Directeur), Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès 
• M. Denis Cerclet, Université Lumière Lyon 2 
• Mme Michèle Coquet, CNRS 
• Mme Zoï Kapoula, CNRS 
• M. Paul-Antoine Miquel, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès 
• M. Alexandre Surralés, EHESS 
• Mme Anna Tcherkassof, Université de Grenoble 

Abstract: 
The thesis addresses the relationship with facial representations in art (portraits, busts, masks, etc.), referred to, here, as "facial icons". The thesis has two anchor points : anthropological - Alfred Gell 's theory of art agency - and cognitive - the psychological theory of embodied emotion. The hypothesis is that facial icons would trigger facial mimicry and emotional contagion that would explain the abduction of their agency. Experimental studies (questionnaire, EMG, SAM) are conducted to test parts of the hypothesis. 

Keywords: 
Art agency. Faces in art. Embodied emotion. Facial mimicry. Electromyography. 

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Anyone wishing to attend the defense should contact the candidate at a.achour.benallegue@gmail.com.