Interaction between cognitive and aesthetic values: beyond the narrative absorption in La Peste

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to identify and study the diversity of possible cases of
aesthetic experiences related to the psychological phenomenon of absorption in La Peste; this TV series
exhibits outstanding artistic qualities, both in the creation of images and in art direction, including
the digital set recreation or their modification. It also describes the type of interaction that takes place
between the processes of possible aesthetic absorption and the cognitive content of the narrative. We
approach the analysis of a wide variety of scenes to distinguish the implications that a reflective or
evaluative activity of an aesthetic nature may have for a better understanding of the cognitive content it
offers. Our analysis has discovered a unique wealth of resources: from the visual motifs, the dominant
modes of representation in the historical period of the series, to the sophisticated lighting techniques,
the mise en scène, the cinematography, the use of chromaticism or the digital set composition. What
is common to all the cases dealt with is the search for an active spectator, open to setting his or her reflective and imaginative capacity in motion at a level of intensity and frequency that is rare and
valuable in contemporary seriality.