Math & Cultural
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| Location: | SLMath: Baker Board Room, Commons Room, Atrium, 2nd Floor Deck |
Art at SLMath Opening Reception
Roger Antonsen: Emerging Complexity
Thursday, May 1, 2025 from 5:30-7:30pm Pacific Time
Free & Open to the Public
Art on display throughout the 2nd floor
Address: Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath - formerly MSRI), 17 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 (Google Maps)
View Directions and Parking Information | UC Berkeley Campus Shuttle Schedule
Reception Location: SLMath (Shiing-Shen Chern Hall), 2nd Floor Commons Room & Outdoor Deck
The general public and SLMath visitors are welcome to join us to celebrate the opening of our newest art exhibit from 5:30-7:30pm (doors close 8:00pm) at the 2nd floor commons room and deck. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
About the Exhibit
Roger Antonsen’s art exhibition, Emerging Complexity, is a journey into algorithmic art, where simple mathematical rules unfold into intricate and beautiful structures—visualizations that are both intellectually stimulating and visually stunning. Roger’s work celebrates the elegance and complexity that can emerge from playing with assumptions, inviting the viewer to see mathematics not just as an abstract discipline, but as a profound source of creativity and wonder.
"Many believe mathematics is only about calculations, formulas, numbers, and strange letters. But mathematics is much more than just crunching numbers or manipulating symbols. Mathematics is about discovering patterns, uncovering hidden structures, finding counterexamples, and thinking logically. Mathematics is a way of thinking. It is an activity that is both highly creative and challenging." — Roger Antonsen, 2014
This art exhibit is co-sponsored by the University of Virginia School of Data Science.
About the Artist
Roger Antonsen (1976-2024) was a logician, mathematician, computer scientist, author, public speaker, science communicator, and artist. As an Associate Professor at the University of Oslo’s Department of Informatics, he wrote the book, Logical Methods, used as a course book by the students at UiO and at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. He was a key member of the Analytical Solutions and Reasoning (ASR) research group. His academic journey also led him to UC Berkeley and ICERM at Brown University as an invited visiting scholar.
Beyond academia, Roger was a passionate advocate for science communication and outreach. He delivered hundreds of engaging and thought-provoking talks on mathematics, computer science, philosophy, and art—always inviting his audiences to see the world from new perspectives. His 2015 TED Talk, "Math is the Hidden Secret to Understanding the World," has captivated audiences worldwide, garnering over 4 million views.
In 2018, Roger Antonsen was awarded Best of Show – 2D Artwork, at the Bridges Conference in Stockholm for his Card Shuffling Visualizations series. This work was inspired by a talk he attended by Persi Diaconis at what was then called MSRI, and is now SLMath.
Roger was also deeply committed to fostering creativity and innovation. In 2014, he co-founded Norway Makers, an organization dedicated to cultivating the joy of 'making' at the intersection of art, technology, and science, and championing the Maker Movement in Norway.
| SLMath: Event Access and Parking - 17 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 |
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Parking & Transportation to SLMath SLMath is located in the UC Berkeley Hillside Campus area between the Lawrence Hall of Science and Grizzly Peak Blvd. (View on Google Maps) Paid parking (50 cents/hour, via credit card only) is available in the Space Science Laboratory (SSL) lots near SLMath via PayByPhone app, website, or phone - please follow instructions on signage. The lot number is 9477. A limited number of accessible parking spaces are available first-come, first-served at the SLMath building entrance. (View parking areas) UC Berkeley's Hill Shuttle operates on campus from Evans Hall / Mining Circle to the Space Science Laboratory twice per hour. Non-UC Berkeley ID holders can ride for $1/trip, payable via cash only. The final shuttle of the evening departs SLMath / SSL at 7:15 PM. ( |