Bridges: A World Community
for Mathematical Art by KRISTO ́F FENYVESI
Summary
The Bridges community
brings together mathematicians, artists, and educators to explore the
intersection of mathematics and art. Originating from the vision of Iranian
mathematician Reza Sarhangi, the first Bridges conference in 2005 in the
Canadian Rockies transformed the typical academic format into a vibrant
festival of creativity, where participants engaged in building, performing, and
collaborating.
Over the years, Bridges
has expanded globally, fostering new partnerships and innovative ways of
thinking across countries like Spain, Korea, and Hungary. It emphasizes the
idea that mathematics is deeply human and can be expressed through various
artistic media. The movement promotes an inclusive atmosphere, blurring the
lines between experts and novices and between different disciplines.
Fenyvesi describes
Bridges as a “worldview” that celebrates creativity and collaboration, serving
as a precursor to the STEAM concept and exemplifying the joyful relationship
between mathematics and the arts.
Stop 1
Quote:”
As is often the case with active and successful communities and networks,
Bridges was begun by a many-sided individual with contacts in both science and
culture” pg. 37
“Mathematics, arts, and
crafts coexisted side-by-side during the medieval period of Persian history”. Pg
37.
Explanation: I
am deeply intrigued by Reza Sarhangi’s vision and the role he played in shaping
the Bridges community. The article’s description of him as a “many-sided
individual with contacts in both science and culture” resonates with me,
especially given how seamlessly he wove mathematics, art, history, and
performance into a single intellectual practice. Learning that “mathematics,
arts, and crafts coexisted side-by-side during the medieval period of Persian
history” immediately reminded me of a workshop I attended at the Secret
Lantern, where Malihe presented Persian geometric art. Seeing how mathematical
shapes were carefully arranged into patterns on carpets, buildings, and
everyday objects—and how Farsi numerals themselves carried aesthetic
intention—helped me understand the cultural energy Sarhangi brought into the
mathematics community. His work affirms my belief that bridging mathematics and
the arts can transform the subject from something feared for its functional
calculations into a creative, inviting practice grounded in beauty, pattern,
and elegance.
Stop 2
Quote:”
Bridges’
transdisciplinary program has elaborated new transdisciplinary standards and
has productively solved a high number of unforeseeable and unprecedented
challenges. These are risks run by any truly transdisciplinary venture; they
may never emerge in relatively homogeneous scientific or artistic communities
with established traditions and history. Pg.42
Explanation: In
all honesty, I have heard Susan talk about bridges, but I never knew the depth
and sacrifices made until I read this article. Bridges’ claim that its
transdisciplinary program has had to elaborate new standards reflects the
reality that once mathematics is brought into conversation with art, culture,
music, dance, and community participation, the traditional rules of either
discipline are no longer sufficient.
In homogeneous communities—such
as a conventional mathematics department or a traditional art school—everyone
shares the same expectations about what counts as good work, how to evaluate
it, and what the goals of the field are. But Bridges operates in a space where
a geometric proof might appear as a sculpture, where a dance performance can
express symmetry, and where cultural artifacts carry mathematical meaning.
This is exactly the kind of
challenge Bridges faces: when mathematics becomes a creative, culturally
grounded, and aesthetically rich practice, it opens doors for people who fear
traditional calculation. However, it also requires new standards for teaching,
evaluating, and understanding mathematical knowledge. These are the
“unforeseeable and unprecedented challenges” that only a truly
transdisciplinary venture encounters, and how it has been able to soar despite
the heavy challenges from the various disciplines beats my imagination.
Question: What are the
greatest challenges that arise when mathematics intersects with art,
performance, or community practice? Additionally, which assumptions or beliefs
from your own field might you need to reevaluate or let go of to engage fully
in a Bridges-style community?
Hi Clementina, thanks for your reflection and summaries! In terms of challenges, I think there is a certain difficulty in convincing people to “buy in” to the intersection of mathematics and the arts. Given today’s capitalist-driven and technology-centred society, the current perception of STEAM is often tied to its use in driving economic growth and the global market. Uprooting traditional approaches to mathematics and assessment is frequently met with fear of the unknown. However, because mathematics and art have historically and naturally been intertwined, it is more a matter of shining a light on a side of mathematics that has been cast aside. In this sense, intersecting mathematics and the arts can be understood as a decolonial act, or an act of resistance to rigid, traditional conceptions of mathematics.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your second question, this work requires a great deal of self-reflection and openness to learning different ways of learning and doing mathematics. Our resistance to inviting new approaches often stems from that same fear of the unknown. When we engage in self-critique (as the saying goes, teachers are often their own biggest and first critics), we can dig deeper and ask ourselves why we may feel uncomfortable, and identify what we need in order to feel supported and prepared to introduce these different ideas.
Hi Clementina, I found your reflection on the Bridges community really grounded. Your connection between Sarhangi’s Persian heritage and your personal experience at the Secret Lantern workshop perfectly illustrates how math can move from "functional calculation" to a "creative, inviting practice."
ReplyDeleteI was particularly struck by your Stop 1 regarding the coexistence of math and crafts in Persian history. It made me think about how our modern Western curriculum has systematically "un-stitched" these disciplines. In my own teaching, I have often seen students who are brilliant with their hands but feel "math-phobic" because they don't see the geometric patterns in their own creative work as "real math." Sarhangi’s vision reminds us that the elegance of a carpet or a building isn't just an application of math; it is the math.
Your Stop 2 regarding the "unforeseeable challenges" of transdisciplinary work pointed out that once we move beyond the "homogeneous" math department, the traditional rules of assessment no longer apply. This is a huge hurdle in secondary education. How do we grade a dance that expresses symmetry or a sculpture that proves a theorem? This highlights the vulnerability required by teachers to step into a space where they aren't the sole "experts" of a rigid system, but co-creators in a messy, artistic one.
Regarding Anna’s comment about the "capitalist-driven" perception of STEAM, I think she’s right that we often view these intersections as tools for economic growth rather than "acts of resistance."
Beautiful work here, everyone. Clementina, this is a wonderful opening to the power and importance of transdisciplinary work, and some of the challenges it poses. I like Anna’s image of ‘shining a light’ on something that has always been there, but that has been set aside. The messiness and dropping the ‘mantle of the expert ‘, Kabula — well said!!
ReplyDelete