Value and change of corals. Christine and Margaret Wertheim

Coral reefs, with their brilliant colors, interwoven and tangled forms, and curving and rippling surfaces, are the central theme of the Australian sisters Margaret and Christine Wertheim. As scientists, they analyze the aesthetics of mathematical theories and biological phenomena. The Institute for Figuring (IFF), which they founded in Los Angeles in 2005, aims to promote public understanding of the poetic and aesthetic dimensions of science, mathematics, and technology, while simultaneously drawing 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 that raises awareness of the endangered and hidden beauties of our oceans.