Mathematics, A Beautiful Elsewhere

Based on an exhibition organized by the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, in partnership with UNESCO and the IHES in Paris.

Published to accompany an exhibition by the same name, this book brings together mathematicians and major contemporary artists to brainstorm about how their disciplines intersect. The exhibition and the book seek to combine the aesthetic, scientific,and educational aspects of mathematics into one unique experience.

The six mathematicians―Sir Michael Atiyah, Alain Connes, Nicole El Karoui, Mikhail Gromov, Cédric Villani, and Don Zagier―represent a range of geographical backgrounds and mathematical disciplines. The artists collaborating with them are Raymond Depardon, Cai Guo-Qiang, David Lynch, and Hiroshi Sugimoto. Together they have come up with specially and aesthetically designed ways to exhibit mathematics, to unveil the beauty and visionary insights of this discipline.