Numbers in Nature
Chicago, IL
Patterns once invisible now surface everywhere: in nature, architecture, music, movement. The math was always there. They just hadn’t seen it yet.
KEY INFO
Client
Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
Scale
10,000 sqft / 925 sqm
Partners
Morlights, Ravenswood Studio
Concept
It was always in the world around us. Numbers in Nature places visitors inside the geometry of nature itself, from the nested seeds of a sunflower to the spirals of galaxies. The exhibition introduces math as patterns found through movement, reflection, and play. Mirrors compare bodily proportions to classical ratios. Visitors bridge abstract ideas with forms they already recognize in plants, shells, river systems, and their own movements.
“Discover how math and STEM elements are present in daily life… how these natural occurrences inspire exciting innovations in art, science and more.”
Dr. Olivia Castellini, Sr. Exhibit Strategist, Griffin Museum of Science & Industry
Discovering the patterns
At the heart of the experience is a 175 sqm mirror maze built from repeating triangular geometry and layered lighting. Reflections multiply into seemingly infinite patterns, creating moments of disorientation, recognition, and delight. Hidden details throughout reward exploration, surfacing unexpected graphics, artifacts, and moments of insight.
Motion-driven stations let visitors manipulate spirals and fractals with simple gestures. Digital drawing spaces let them design the structures hidden in buildings, art, landscapes, and sound. Familiar concepts emerge along the way: the Fibonacci sequence, symmetry, tessellation, and the Golden Ratio.
Learning through nature
Immersive films, hands-on interactives, and tactile objects, including cast forms inspired by natural systems like branching anthills, give depth to students and adults alike. The experience builds knowledge that meets educational standards while staying playful and accessible.
Lasting impressions
Guests leave with a lasting shift in perception. Patterns once invisible now surface everywhere: in nature, architecture, music, movement. The math was always there. They just hadn’t seen it yet.
