Tesselles

At Curated 2025, curated by Lionel Jadot at Mix Brussels, a fourth mosaic panel was presented in collaboration with artisan Françoise Lombaers. The work explores what happens when algorithmic processes meet traditional craft constraints. Using an implementation of the Prim-Jarník algorithm—typically used in computer science to find minimum spanning trees in weighted graphs—computational logic is translated into physical mosaic patterns. Lombaers works exclusively with square tiles that are never cut, a technical limitation that shapes the visual outcome as much as the algorithm itself.

In our interpretation of this graph algorithm, we explore the problem of connecting all points in a space using the minimum possible total distance. The algorithm grows a tree by repeatedly selecting the shortest possible edge that connects the existing structure to a new point. Rather than representing connections as present or absent, we apply a ridge gradient that creates a topographical landscape where the tree’s edges form elevated ridges that gradually taper off into valleys. This approach transforms the mathematical precision of finding optimal connections into organic, flowing patterns that can evoke natural systems like river networks or leaf veins.