Archives

Snowflake Sponge Tower

Jan 12 Sat
3:00 - 6:00pm @ The IFF

Workshop


Tower Modules of the Mosely Snowflake Fractal at USC’s Doheny Memorial Library. Photo by Paula Goldman.

Join us on Saturday January 12 at the IFF for a workshop to begin building a giant Tower Module Fractal out of 8000  business cards. Developed by Dr. Jeannine Mosely, these gorgeous fractal structures were first explored in the IFF’s curatorial project at the the USC Libraries during 2012. At USC, hundreds of students joined in to construct a fractal known as the Mosely Snowflake Sponge out of 49,000 business cards. This fractal itself is composed of 6 human-scale Towers, each a mathematical marvel in its own right. At the IFF, we’re going to construct one of the amazing forms using 8000 of our beautiful new orange psychedelic business cards. Building will continue in a series of events over the coming months culminating in April with a weekend-long construction party led by Dr. Mosely. Come learn about fractal geometry and be part of this unique participatory art+math project by joining our core Tower Team. All Tower constructers will be acknowledged on exhibition credits in the IFF gallery and website, and in a forthcoming book.

The Mosely Snowflake Sponge is on display at USC’s Doheny Memorial Library until January 30, 2013.

Business Card Origami

Jan 05 Sat
2:00pm - 4:00pm @ The IFF

Workshop


Origami tower designed and folded by David Orozco.

In January we continue our investigations in mathematical paper folding. Join us on Saturday January 5 to learn the techniques of business card origami developed by Dr. Jeannine Mosely and design your own structures. Above is a model designed by IFF visitor David Orozco, a talented folder who has developed a new method for linking cards together, thus enabling this intriguing foam-like form that fills space with a lovely cubic tesselation.

The event is part of  our exhibition making space, which includes a six-month long experiment in hands-on mathematics. During the course of the exhibition visitors are invited to help build large-scale origami sculptures out of 60,000 specially-designed business cards.  We want your input as we dream into being a never-before-realized mathematical-art-landscape.

No experience required. All materials will be provided at the workshop.

Admission Free.

Holiday Hiatus

Christmas-inspired “snowflake” folded from 450 business cards.

The Institute is on holiday hiatus from December 23, 2012, to January 2, 2013. We will resume regular hours on January 3. 

Beginning January 5, 2013, the IFF will be holding regular workshops most Saturdays from 2pm – 6pm as part of our making space exhibition. In mid-January we’ll also start construction on one of Dr. Jeannine Mosely’s amazing Tower Module fractal sculptures using 8,000 of our gorgeous new paisley business cards. We invite you to be part of this experiment in participatory mathemathatical art.

Pictured above from our inaugural workshop: A large-scale Christmas-inflected box-origami snowflake whose construction was guided by IFF visitor Corrine Cascioppo. This was Corrine’s first visit to the IFF; she’d come up from Temecula to learn business-card folding techniques and has now embarked on a model of a mathematical knot.

Breaking News: The exhibition of Dr. Mosely’s giant origami fractal at USC’s Doheny Memorial Library has been extended to the end of January 2013. We encourage you to see this amazing object folded out of 50,000 cards.

Our 2013 schedule of workshops, lectures and conversations by mathematicians, artists and others will be announced soon.

 

Crochet Reef in The Huffington Post

Margaret enjoying the Fohr Reef, constructed at the Museum Kunst der Westkuste, Germany (2012).

The IFF’s Crochet Coral Reef project is featured this week in an elegant piece in the Huffington Post by artist Hilary Harkness. Reflecting on the role that fiber art is playing in the realm of public art, Harkness delivers an insightful meditation on the interplay between mathematics, science, art, craft and feminism. The Crochet Reef is hailed as “one of the most beloved ongoing community art projects of all time.” “These yarn sculptures are brought together to make entire reefs in various states of health or decay, engaging the public in the science of the ecological crisis caused by global warming.”

The IFF thanks our nearly 7000 contributors around the world who have participated in the Crochet Reef project. Your collective skills and talents have made this a truly unique work of art. We extend our regards especially to the 700 women of Germany, Holland, and Denmark who, in 2012, made the magnificent Fohr Reef at the Museum Kunst der Westkuste. The Fohr Reef will continue to travel throughout 2013.

We extend our admiration also to artist Janet Echelman, whose TED Talk  about her large-scale netted sculptures inspired Harkness to write.

Watch Margaret’s TED Talk about the Crochet Coral Reef.

 

Business Card Origami

Dec 22 Sat
2:00pm - 6:00pm @ The IFF

Workshop


David Orozco with one of his newly discovered business card origami forms Orozco Box Fractal.

On Saturday December 22, as part of the IFF’s making space exhibition, we’ll continue to make business card origami structures. Come and be part of this ongoing exercise in experimental mathematics and aesthetics.

Last week we were delighted to witness the invention of several new forms, including a wondrous kind of geometric tower designed by David Orozco. Over the coming months David will be extending this to who knows how high. We fantasize about a grove of these.

We invite you to come and design your own fractal-like forms and contribute to our evolving landscape of geometric forms. All materials are supplied during the workshop. No experience required: Novices and experienced origamists equally welcome.

Event Free.

making space – exhibition opens December 15

On Saturday, December 15, the Institute’s new exhibition, making space, opens its doors. We’re launching the show with an afternoon workshop making origami fractals (4-7pm), followed by a champagne reception (7-9pm).

Space has become a central issue of our time. Astronomers are exploring the far reaches of outer space, probing the birth of our universe. Physicists propose that we live in a 10 or 11-dimensional hyperspace and mathematicians are discovering new kinds of geometric and algebraic spaces. Meanwhile GPS systems help us to navigate urban space, Google Maps allow us to explore geographical space, and spatial representations of data have become critical in fields as diverse as pharmaceutical research and weather prediction. Such tools change the way we understand our world and lead to new ways of solving problems. making space proposes an exploration of what we mean by “space” in its many diverse manifestations historically and today.

At the heart of making space is a six-month long experiment in hands-on mathematics, during which Institute visitors will be invited to build geometric sculptures out of 60,000 specially-designed business cards. Beginning with techniques developed by engineer Dr. Jeannine Mosely, the IFF and its audience will experience the ‘play-tank’ aspect of the IFF, by collectively bringing into being a new kind of mathematical art object.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of lectures, workshops and conversations with mathematicians, scientists and artists. Stay tuned for upcoming schedule of events.

Business Card Origami

Dec 08 Sat
2:00pm - 5:00pm @ The IFF

Workshop


Please join us at the Institute for our first folding workshop. We’ll be teaching the Business Card Origami techniques developed by Dr. Jeanine Mosely to make mathematical fractals.

The event is part of  our new exhibition making space, that includes a six-month long experiment in hands-on mathematics. During the course of the exhibition, Institute visitors are invited to help build a large-scale sculpture out of 60,000 specially-designed business cards. Come and make fractals, or use Dr. Mosely’s techniques to design new geometric objects of your own. We want your input as we design and construct a never-before-realized fractal landscape.

No experience required. All materials will be provided at the workshop.

Admission is Free.

Business Card Origami

Dec 15 Sat
4:00pm - 7:00pm @ The IFF

Workshop + Celebration


The Institute’s new exhibition, making space, is having its “soft opening” on Saturday. We’ll be celebrating with a fractal origami workshop (4-7pm), followed by a champagne reception (7-9pm).

Making space, a wide-ranging exploration of mathematical, scientific and artistic conceptions of space, includes a six-month long experiment in hands-on mathematics during which Institute visitors are invited to build geometric sculptures out of 60,000 specially designed business cards.

Come and learn how to make fractals out of business cards and design your own additions to our on-going business card sculptural landscape. The workshop is based on techniques developed by engineer Dr. Jeannine Mosely, creator of the Business Card Fractal Sponge and the Mosely Snowflake Sponge, a giant origami fractal currently on display at the USC Doheny Library.

No experience required. All materials will be provided at the workshop.

Admission Free.