The dome of a yurt with its light frame is emblematic of nomadic living; textile knitting is a traditional craft. Drawing on knot theory in mathematics, artist Ilya Sibiryakov has developed a frame consisting of a single continuous arc; the topology of minimal surfaces helped him design the artistic solution of a knitted cover for the frame. The abundance of textile waste brought to the landfill allows people to create large-scale structures comparable in size to yurts by recycling. Sibiryakov is inviting residents of the Altyn Kazyk settlement to a public workshop to create a domed art object using his original technique. In so doing, he will help expand their concepts of the applications of recycled textile waste and of the role of math in artistic creation.

Ilya Sibiryakov is an architect and artist who creates large-scale art objects at the intersection of art, craft, science, and performance. His method involves engaging people without special training in the creation of art objects. That guides his quests through the fields of technology and design.