Art does not only change the world around us – it also changes the artists themselves, just as they change in turn. But how exactly does studying at an art school shape the works the students create? What traces does artistic training leave in color, composition, complexity, or expression?

So far, we know little about how artistic practice systematically develops during the course of art studies. With the project The Art School Effect, we aim to make this visible: using modern computer-based image analysis, we compare works created by students before and after their studies.

Of course, we are aware that art can never be fully measured in an objective way. The toolbox provides only certain formal metrics – such as color, structure, or complexity – and cannot capture the full depth and meaning of an artwork in all its dimensions. Our approach is therefore an approximation that highlights selected facets and opens up new perspectives on artistic development.

This is exciting because it not only reveals insights into individual trajectories, but also into shared trends and potential differences between art schools. In this way, the project offers a unique perspective on how education and creative practice interact – and what studying art does to art itself.