Hidden patterns

Thanks to the research of Albert-László Barabási, the world looks at networks differently today. One of the most promising scientific methodological innovations of the past decades has been network research and network visualization, which seems to be an effective tool for examining cultural and social phenomena, including the visual arts scene. Albert-László Barabási - with his colleagues at BarabásiLab - has developed a visual vocabulary of complexity, inspired by his pioneering research on everything from protein interactions to the spread of fake news. Their two-dimensional visualizations and 3D data sculptures have made it possible for us to see how the complex systems that govern our lives actually work. Hidden Patterns documents the evolution of BarabásiLab's visual language. The volume is published on the occasion of a retrospective exhibition of BarabásiLab's work, which debuted at the Ludwig Museum in Budapest and then travels to the Karlsruhe Art and Media Center in Germany. The richly illustrated collection contains dozens of colorful images and diagrams, with commentaries by leading voices in the world of art and design and explanations by curators. By tracing the development and evolution of network visualization - through the presentation of the defining projects of BarabásiLab - the interested reader can arrive at the application of the comprehensive method in the visual arts. Barabási's research focuses on the search for mostly invisible connections and the discovery of recurring patterns that connect nature, society, language and culture. The network approach promises a comprehensive, universal method with which almost any connection (e.g. the success of artistic careers) can be examined with scientific precision. "To finally understand the hidden structures that determine and shape all aspects of our lives - from the most natural to the most artificial constructions - has now become the ambition and also the need of every conscious citizen. In this book and the accompanying exhibition, Albert-László Barabási, with his unparalleled ability to explore the systemic nature of reality, presents the world with a new, important language that we all must learn in order to build a better future for all species." PAOLA ANTONELLI, Chief Curator, Department of Architecture and Design, and Director of Research and Development, Museum of Modern Arts "Albert-László Barabási's work transcends established systems of thought, following in the intellectual legacy of the Hungarian artist and art theorist György Kepes, who declared that "we must overcome the fear of new knowledge." Barabási forges a new kind of alliance with the most diverse forms of knowledge. His research takes place in a bustling laboratory, always searching for what we do not yet know. By bringing his extraordinary works into the world of museums, he simultaneously multiplies the worlds of museums." HANS ULRICH OBRIST, Artistic Director, Serpentine Galleries