The interactive exhibition “La La Lab – The Mathematics of Music” has been updated and will invite the participants of the Heidelberg Laureate Forum to dive into the interplay of numbers, formulas, and sounds. 

The exhibition is about mathematics you can hear: An interactive, hands-on lab with numerous stations for young and old alike. In collaboration with leading international researchers, IMAGINARY has created a playground for the senses. Here, music is explored systematically, and mathematics is brought to life through sound. Ideal for curious minds ages 8 and up.

The exhibits include the following topics:

• From Sine Waves to Sound: Explore the vibrations behind sound. Why do some intervals sound harmonious while others feel out of tune? Why do harmonies move us? And what’s the secret behind the fact that nearly every piano is slightly “out of tune”?
• Rhythm & Geometry: Discover how complex beats emerge from mathematical rules. Watch music become visible, and let yourself be fooled by rhythms that seem to speed up infinitely.
• AI & Composition: Can an algorithm feel? Experience how artificial intelligence creates new sounds and enables you, even without prior experience, to suddenly conduct a piano concerto.
• Fascinating Short Films and 3D-Printed Objects: Music isn’t just for listening, it’s for seeing too!

The exhibits were developed by IMAGINARY in collaboration with renowned scientists from over ten countries. Their creation and the exhibition’s realization were made possible by funding from the Klaus Tschira Foundation, with additional support from the Technical University of Munich.

Starting on October 21, 2026, the exhibition will be on display at MAINS’ new venue in Heidelberg.