The institute had previously developed an exhibit about the recent mathematical discoveries involving the classification of 3 dimensional manifolds.

The exhibit at Université Paris 13 had been developed through a collaboration between mathematicians and artists and had resulted in videos that explained basic geometrical theories and two interactive modules about the geometry of 2 and 3 dimensional manifolds.

Images of the original exhibit at Université Paris 13

I was presented with the challenge of adapting this material for a new exhibit for Rio de Janeiro's astronomy museum. Contrary to the original rendition, this instalment would have to serve mostly young visitors from public schools.

Basic structure

My first step was to study the subject and to try and adapt the content to the physical space of the museum.

We didn't have too much space at the museum and we were already taking up a lot of it with the interactive modules, so we decided to stick close to the walls in order to allow for a pleasant circulation of the guests.

Playful rendition

I started the project with a more youthful idea in mind, playing with colors and contrast.

Using images from reference videos and the ones created by the mathematicians involved, I created panels that explained some basic geometrical and topological notions.

Letting the images speak

However, the original creators wanted something more artistic.
I decided to create a simpler rendition with clean lines and neutral colors.

This new design focused on the beauty of the images that were created by the mathematical visualizations within the modules and the breakthrough visualizations that had just recently been rendered by the researchers involved in the exhibit.

Specifications

The museum staff designed the basic structure based on my renderings and blueprints while I detailed the design of some furnitures and controls.

Inauguration

With all the specifications at hand, the museum staff executed the project and opened the doors for visitation.

Learn more

You can also do a virtual tour of the exhibit , or learn more about it on the catalog or on the website (in Portuguese).