Maria Mannone

Postdoctoral researcher
European Centre for Living Technology, Ca' Foscari University of Venice; Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Palermo
Italy

I'm a theoretical physicist and a composer; I like to draw. My research uses the language of mathematics (mainly category theory) to compare forms and growth processes in nature and to transform them into music and musical variations. Sometimes, mathematics itself becomes a source of inspiration. With mathematical concepts and forms, we can navigate the complexity of the arts and the world around us. I made the drawing "Venetian aMazing Recursions" for the cover of the Arts & Complexity Research Unit of the Ca' Foscari University in Venice.

Venetian aMazing Recursions
Venetian aMazing Recursions
24 x 24 cm
Pencil drawing on paper
2020

The drawing is inspired by the Borges’ green maze in the Island of St. Giorgio, Venice. Double spirals and curves, together with mathematical symbols, refer to Arts and Complexity. Curves and curls, typical of Baroque, appear in the Euler/Cornu spiral, violin’s pegboxes, ammonites, calla flowers, and partially in the Klein bottle. The maze’s “S” joins Bach’s theme of “The Musical Offering” and reappears in the bottom left as a nested maze. The flying St. Mark’s lion, water streets with fish, dolphin, and gondola homage the labyrinthine city of Venice. A Möbius strip, Borromean rings, ouroboros, some dominos pieces morphing into chessboards, a bridge between maze’s areas, brass bells, and an unexpected power plug complete the vision.