Event 2: Robert Gero, Infinity Structures: Paradoxical Spaces

Poster for the exhibit

Unfortunately, I made it to the exhibit after hours with my friend, and so everyone was at the LASER symposium (also recommended, though I only was able to stay for three presentations - all very cool!) down the hall.  However, experiencing the room with the display with just another person made it very intimate and meaningful as we were transported into the themes of infinity and challenging paradoxes.

Photo in the middle of the exhibit!  Dark lighting, whoops

Our lecture in the Math+Art unit went in depth about the creation of zero, but we didn't touch base on infinity.  This exhibit supplemented that perfectly, as you got to experience infinity in Gero's interpretation.  It may be considered a "number" of sorts for some people, but the portrayal with a "stable exterior and an infinitely expanding interior" as described by Gero challenged the views of what infinity means or the interpretations you can draw from it.

Shifting lights and pillow display

What really struck me was the fragility of the pieces.  The white beams were made out of foam, and I was scared of accidentally bumping into one and knocking the whole thing down.  However, from afar, the structure looks so strong and solid - purposeful but with closer inspection, a bit unsteady.  It was difficult to really visualize the inner portions growing beyond that of the external, as it took a bit of imagination to really imagine that break down, similar to how we have to imagine and really take for face value the existence of atoms on a microlevel.

Powers of Ten (from lecture)

This helped with my understanding of our Space + Art unit too - space does not have to mean the outer space of the universe, but rather another form of understanding how it fills the voids around us on any level, be it micro or macro.  It reminded of of the Powers of Ten video (see above) as Gero presented this growing, infinity structure - while as we moved out in the powers of ten, you could almost feel the infinity in a moving, yet focused view of the man's hand.  

Another view of the Infinity Structures

This exhibit was really cool to experience in person - I would not miss out!  You can't experience it fully without hearing the soundscape in the background by Greif that contributes to the feeling of being infinite.  It's a surreal feeling that will overcome you, as I know I felt extra small within the space and in the world when I really embraced the gravity of the exhibit and what Gero wanted to demonstrate with the fluid space.