Vervreemdende trend

Gisteravond (12 augustus 2012, red.) een bizarre avond met Lidi Edelkoort als zomergast op TV die maar loopt te emmeren over trends, het einde van het ik-tijdperk weet je, dat fabrieken ‘out’ zijn, er komen in plaats van massaproducten minifabriekjes naar de mensen die producten op maat maken, niet meer die eenheidsworst van massaproducten uit megafabrieken in verre landen, nee, dat verdwijnt, zegt ze, breed zwaaiend met haar armen. Bedrijven moeten uit dat negatieve denken weet je, dan komt het goed.

Daarna, ’s avonds tegen twaalven de hond uitlaten en een maanloze, hyperheldere sterrenhemel die me overrompelt. De Melkwegwolken (die geen wolken zijn maar het schijnsel van miljoenen sterren), de zomerdriehoek wordt een duizendhoek, een koepel van lichtpuntjes die me omvat en ik word opgenomen in een spinsel van miljarden sterren met hun tientallen miljarden planeten.

Tientallen miljoenensteden zijn er alleen al in China, al die mensen in hun appartementjes, hun hutjes, uitgestrekt over de heuvels, allemaal met hun eigen gedoetje, hun zorgen. Duizendmaal meer planeten alleen al in het melkwegstelsel, met hun gebergtes, kraters, zeeën van methaan.

Even zie ik dat allemaal even helder als die stoel nu, tegenover me aan de eettafel.

Alsof dat niet genoeg is zie ik een helder oplichtende flits vanuit het oosten een brede streep trekken door de melkweg, als wit vuurwerk, maar dan, in plaats van vanaf de grond, afgestoken vanuit de ruimte, de dampkring in. Een paar minuten later nog een flits, twee tellen daarna nog een. Het is 12 Augustus, het is een meteorenregen. De Perseiden?

Ik loop terug naar de boerderij, word begeleid door een vierde lichtstreep, een tel lang, helderder dan de helderste maan, kom uitgelaten binnen en vertel Mirjam wat ik zag.

Ja, zegt ze, dat is wel leuk hoor, maar ik wil net de afwasmachine aanzetten en dan zie ik, kijk, dat er nog een laagje water in staat. Hij is toch niet stuk?

Ik bekijk het plasje troebel water in de roestvrijstalen bak onder het rek dat vol staat met borden, bestek en keer uit het oneindige terug in ons kleine leven.

Recent Activities, News

Workshopdagen Valuascollege Venlo juni 2024

Klik op de foto naar een verslag

Houten versie Geofractor

De plastic geofractor uit het boekje is nu ook verkrijgbaar in de houten variant. Prijs €12,50

Boekje in zebrareeks is half april 2023 verschenen.

Artikel in Euclides

Half maart 2023 is in het vakblad van wiskundeleraren een artikel van me verschenen naar aanleiding van de publicatie van Zebra 66 Islamitische Meetkundige Patronen

Recensie Snijpunt Isfahan

Lees hier

First prototype of new aperiodic puzzle

The developing process is continued. click here.

Ars et Mathesisdag 2019

During the art- and maths day (Ars et Mathesisdag), 24 november 2018, I gave a lecture about analyzing historical geometric patterns and trying to find new ones.

Timelapse construction

A great timelapse construction by Ameet Hindocha. More can be found on the website Ambigraph

Article online available

The journal For the Learning of Mathematics made my 2014 article 'Learning geometry by designing Persian mosaics' online available: See https://flm-journal.org/Articles/2E0CB6E94D76C79C2F341680D60F17.pdf

Een kritische recensie van Snijpunt Isfahan

Here you find my reflections on  a very critical review of Snijpunt Isfahan by a mathematician (in Dutch)

March 30 2018 Lecture

Lecture in Dutch

Two new 'floral'patterns

24 March 2018

Based upon the famous Alhambra pattern with circle segments. Click on the picture below to go there

14 feb 2018 Event about  'Snijpunt Isfahan' at Spui25

Look here

Interview by Dolf Jansen

Dolf Jansen interviewed Maite and me (in Dutch) during the radio program 'Spijkers met Koppen', to hear and watch the interview, klick here

Interview by Coen Verbraak

Coen Verbraak interviewed Maite and me about Maite's book 'Snijpunt Isfahan' (in Dutch), to hear and watch the interview, klick here

Official opening of Museum Gallery RAT (Recomposed Art Texel)

May 13 2017 we celebrated the opening of our new location Burgwal 20 Den Burg. Here you find artwork composed with beachcombed materials by Maria Roelofsen and my design studio for making new pattern compositions based upon the Islamic design tradition. For further information also look at www.museumgalerierat.nl

A new floral design with worksheet. Click on the picture to find more information about the Khatai Flower.

March 24th 2017

Heart cloud sun

Workshop in Amsterdam

21 august 2016 11.30-13.00

In the Tropenmuseum I delivered a workshop on the Islamic design tradition of geometric patterns in Dutch, further information here

New poem in Dutch:

Één Jaar

                                 May 6th 2016

Floral designs

A new subject is being developed and information will be available on this website: floral designs. I started today with the lotus flower. Click on the lotus below to visit the right tab.

                        24th of March 2016

Colour Plates available (not any more since the exhibition ended)

Download my puzzle-/colour plates at this link of the Tropenmuseum Junior 

Short story 'Spiral Figures'

I wrote a short story in Dutch about a child who draws spiral figures at the beach

Students finished newly developed lesson strand on Islamic mosaic design

Click on the picture below and check the two slide shows on the 2015 results. 

The workshop I delivered in 2014 is online since Jan. 2015

A miraculous set of tiles

I found a set of two tiles which can only form a semi-periodical pattern
I found a set of two tiles which can only form a semi-periodical pattern

Patchwork by Marijke Maris-Baan

Marijke Maris-Baan finished her design in patchwork, inspired by the winterworkshop held January 2014 on Texel
Marijke Maris-Baan finished her design in patchwork, inspired by the winterworkshop held January 2014 on Texel

Heptagon construction

A method to construct a near-regular heptagon now published on this site

Result of drawing competition

6 July 2014. The drawing cmpetition was won by José Bradamonte.

Students finished mosaic design course

A  group of about 20 students finished the lesson strand on Persian style mosaics in the beginning of may 2014. You can find some impressions of their activities here

View their endresults here

Result of pre-study

May 2014
May 2014

Article published

2014, March.

My article 'Learning Geometry by Designing Persian Mosaics' is published in issue nr. 100 (March 2014) of the Canadian journal 'For the Learning of Mathematics'.

At the flm-website you can find an Abstract.

Examples of basic patterns

Now available: a set of simple basic patterns (subgrids) to use to design new geometric patterns
Now available: a set of simple basic patterns (subgrids) to use to design new geometric patterns

New pattern design

Click on the picture below to find a series of patterns with octagons

Turn-angle 30 degrees
Turn-angle 30 degrees
Turn-angle 22.5 degrees.
Turn-angle 22.5 degrees.

Workshop 1&2 Feb. 2014

The workshop held on Texel was attended by 13 people in total. Among them: a furniture maker, a designer of lamps, quilters, painters and teachers. See the photo-impression of the workshop

Article in local newspaper Texel

This article (text and photo Pip Barnard) is about my fascination for Islamic geometrical ornamentation and how it can be used in (mathematics) education.

Article in Dutch newspaper

An article about the artwork by Maria Roelofsen and myself was published in the Dutch newspaper 'Reformatorisch Dagblad' on 30 december 2013. (Text Janneke van Reenen-Hak, Photo's Sjaak Verboom)

Publication in dutch magazine 'Experiment NL'

In this magazine on dutch Scientific research an article was published about my work. All those who have a subscription of 'Quest' received this magazine. Four pages with beautiful illustrations!

Work in progress, oktober 2013
Work in progress, oktober 2013

International workshop on Islamic geometric design Istanbul

At the Design Center of Istanbul a six-days congres was organized with lectures and workshops delivered by experts in this field. Incredibly inspiring!

http://www.igp-istanbul.com/eng/

Conference Isfahan, Iran

May 2013. A three day conference for mathematicians and artists on geometric Islamic patterns was held. Lots of inspiring workshops and lectures were delivered.

Workshop Leiden

Workshop for students, Institute for Studies of the Middle East, Leiden University, 27 march 2013

A participant of the workshop designs a geometric pattern
A participant of the workshop designs a geometric pattern

Contribution to piece of art

The use of patterns in a work of art by Maria Roelofsen (march 2013)
The use of patterns in a work of art by Maria Roelofsen (march 2013)

Lecture for maths teachers

During the conference for Maths teachers held december 18th 2012 at the Groningen University I gave a lecture about using islamic mosaics to teach geometry at all levels in secundary schools.

 

Article Published

June 2012.

In the review for Dutch mathematics teachers called 'Euclides' the article 'Designing Persian Mosaics in the Classroom. Students in the centre of a medieval design tradition' appeared (for the article in Dutch click here).

Maria completed 'the frog'