Gestalt Perceptual Grouping and Crossmodal Art

This chapter explores the concept of Gestalt perceptual grouping in the context of crossmodal art, examining how principles traditionally applied within a single sensory modality can be extended across multiple senses. The chapter focuses especially on research suggesting that Gestalt grouping principles, which have been proven important in the context of unisensory perception, may also govern crossmodal experiences, such as the interaction between visual art and music. While demonstrating that consensual crossmodal correspondences can sometimes be established between complex auditory stimuli (music) and complex visual stimuli (paintings, etc.), the reviewed literature leaves open the question of what determines the fundamental basis on which such crossmodal correspondences are established when using such rich and meaningful perceptual stimuli. The chapter also addresses the limited and sometimes conflicting evidence concerning the phenomenon of multisensory emergence, where combined sensory stimuli produce an experience that is somehow greater than the sum of its parts. The discussion underscores the need for further empirical research to robustly substantiate these claims and explore the underlying perceptual mechanisms, with potential applications for artists and experience designers in creating impactful multisensory works. Future research directions are proposed to investigate further the role of structural and emotional factors in crossmodal perceptual grouping.