Pythagoras, mathematical chocolate by Enric Rovira and Santos Bregaña

The designer Santos Bregaña was responsible for the Pythagoras bar within Enric Rovira’s “Rajoles d’Autor” (artisan chocolate bars) collection a few years ago. It was the third of the series, after the work done with the sculptor Andreu Alfaro, “Catalunya”, and “Chocodosis” by Emili Padrós. Today, the chocolate firm is bringing back this interesting creation.

In this case the intention of the bar was to recreate a math class done by Enrique Zuazua in honor of the Greek master, Pythagoras. Like a square that is rotated slightly, the bar is divided into many triangles of different proportions but have the same exact volume and weight. The tablet is made with chocolate from Mexico with 70% cocoa, and becomes a perfect example of the artistic and conceptual work that the Barcelona chocolatier likes to engrave in his collections.

In the words of Santos Bregaña, “we raised the question of achieving a piece that shows triangular portions which are identical in surface and weight but different geometrically speaking. I thought that turning a square within its perimeter and within this one, a smaller one and so on until we get four identical triangles, it should be possible to obtain a series of rectangular triangles the same weight as those in the center. The designer defines his work with this original and solemn reflection: “the designer is one who observes the ‘Dieu signes’ the ‘dieu-signateur’ and not without effort must one constantly scan nature, seeking these harmonious numerals which were discovered 2,500 years ago by the teacher who gives name to this work. We also know of the death of god, and this leads inevitably to look for his corpse as the only resource of our work. Often in the bottom of the sea, in the deep, fleeing celestial observation and introspectively exploring the more personal wells of melancholy”.