Inside a Danish Heart: The interior universe of a paper confection. IFF Archives, May 2013.

On Saturday May 11, Judy Tanenbaum hosted a workshop on folding Danish paper hearts. Legend has it that these paper confections were invented by fairytale writer Hans Christian Anderson who folded the first simple design for his sweetheart. In modern times the repertoire of heart designs has been expanded into a mind-blowing oeuvre by the Danish artistan Knud Vaegter. These little topological mysteries are a great deal harder to make than it first appears, but the intense satisfaction of getting one done overcame our frustrations and yielded the unexpected marvel of tiny geometric universes in their interiors. The discovery of these miniature inner worlds resulted from the choice of starkly colored and neon-bright papers, bringing to this gentle art touches of a Barbarella aesthetic.

Mother and daughter folders – Mary and PJ – with their beautifully executed hearts at the IFF.

Danish heart in Astrobright papers reveals an interior universe of geometric complexity.