Coral reefs with their brilliant colours their interwoven and tangled forms and their curving
and rippling surfaces are the central theme of the Australian sisters Margaret and Christine
Wertheim. As scientists they analyse the aesthetic of mathematical theories and biological
phenomena. The "Institute for Figuring" (IFF) which they founded in Los Angeles in 2005 aims
to promote public understanding for the poetic and aesthetic dimensions of science mathematics
and technology and to simultaneously draw attention to matters involving nature and the
environment. The sisters combine the methods of the traditional needlework technique of
crocheting with the beauties of maritime ecosystems and their complex algorithmic structures.
The result is a participatory collective total work of art which at the same time raises
awareness for the endangered and hidden beauties of our oceans.
