Photos from the Machine Project Exhibit

In July/August 2005, the IFF curated an exhibition of crocheted hyperbolic models at Machine Project gallery in Los Angeles. On display were almost 50 models: hyperbolic planes large and small, a variety of pseudospheres, a series of hyperbolic circular discs, and a full set of Dr. Daina Taimina's pedagogical models, including a brand new pair of hyperbolic trousers made especially for this show. Anchoring the exhibition, in the middle of the gallery, was a plinth bearing a bright orange behemoth made by IFF co-director Christine Wertheim - a project on which she says she will be working the rest of her life. Gallery patrons had the chance to fondle and play with a series of models provided for hands-on exploration, and a supplementary folder of material provided reading matter for those inclined to delve deeper. The exhibition catalog was designed by Kimberly Varella and IFF director Margaret Wertheim as a hyperbolic book. Patrons were invited to assemble their own books at a table in the gallery or to take them away for homework. On August 7th, Dr Taimina led a workshop on how to crochet your own hyperbolic plane, and later that evening delivered a talk about her work at the intersection of higher mathematics and feminine handicraft before a packed audience.