The World's Largest Math and Art Conference Comes to Stockholm

The National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm will host the world's largest multidisciplinary conference on mathematics and art with hundreds of participants coming from over 30 countries. Physicist and Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek will inaugurate the event and even interested members of the public can participate.

The Museum's commitment to learning experiences has resulted in the MegaMind exhibition and a unique outdoor playground on the subject of mathematics. These efforts have led the Organizing Committee of the Bridges International Mathematics and Art Conference to choose to hold their 2018 sessions in Sweden at the National Museum of Science and Technology.

Earlier conferences have been organized by universities and communities, but this year The National Museum of Science and Technology is hosting the Bridges Conference, which will bring together math and art enthusiasts from all corners of the globe. At least 400 participants are expected to attend, with their focus being on meeting and sharing experiences and knowledge in art and mathematics.

The conference, inaugurated by the physicist and Nobel Laureate Frank Wilczek, will include lectures by Finnish mathematician and historian Osmo Pekonen (“Measuring the Shape of the Earth”), Doris Schattschneider (“Marjorie Rice and Her Pentagonal Tiling”), Mikael Vejdemo Johansson (“To See Beyond the Obvious – 250,000 Ways to Tie a Tie”) and Swedish artist Eva Hild, famous for her ceramic sculptures that are constructed with extreme precision. Hundreds of conference program events are scheduled between 25-28 July.

The conference and most of its activities will be in English, as Bridges is primarily an international audience consisting of mathematicians, engineers, teachers, researchers, artists and others.

There is also the opportunity for interested members of the public to participate in some workshops and lectures. During the week, visitors can take part in a large art exhibition containing lots of creative exploration at the intersection of art and mathematics. The artists presenting have gained inspiration from mathematical fractals, polyhedra, non-Euclidean and four-dimensional geometry, tiles, knot theory, speech theory and much more. The exhibition will show digital works in 2D and 3D, as well as paintings, beads, ceramics, wood, metal, quilting and paper craft. Artists from Europe, Africa, East Asia and North and South America will be represented.

July 28th is full of activities for both families and interested public. The whole Museum will be bursting with fun-filled things to do and try: a full-featured program for the mathematically-curious. During the day, many of the conference artists and mathematicians will participate in practical workshops that visitors can join. Meet the artist Joaquin Rosell in the workshop "Play with Math, Patterns, Puzzles and Mirrors" or explore mathematics through body and motion together with Riikka Kosola and Saara Lehto and get answers to how a snowflake can "dance."

The 2018 Bridges Conference is conducted in cooperation with the Maritime Museum, the National Sports Museum, the World Cultural Museums, the Performing Arts Museum, the Police Museum, the Nobel Museum, the Nobel Center, Vetenskapens Hus, the National Center for Mathematics Education, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University and Göteborg University.

"Hosting the Bridges International Conference is a great honor and means a lot for our work in increasing children and young people's interest in mathematics. It is especially fun to be able to offer content that meets areas, such as art, technology and mathematics, in this creative way."—Peter Skogh, Museum Director, of the National Museum of Science and Technology.

Read about the Bridges Conference program here.

Read more about the Bridges Organization here.

Lectures marked with (AST) and (EST) are open to the public—first come first served— and cost 40 SEK/session to attend (payable at the Museum’s entrance).