“Viral Symmetries” is a bioartistic project based on real data obtained from the structural analysis of complete capsids from different viral species of medical importance studied by the author in previous scientific research (Arias-Arias et al. 2021 | Viruses 13:1193 | DOI: 10.3390/v13071193). Viruses depend on these geometric capsids, which have been shaped by evolutionary pressures arising from their interactions with host cells. Viral geometric patterns have often been associated with the ancient concept of sacred geometry, which proposes that forms in nature follow harmonious proportions that contribute to their viability. In viruses, this functional geometry enables complex biochemical structures to assemble into stable architectures that support their perpetuation.

The symmetry of viral capsids generally occurs in two major forms: icosahedral and helical. In both cases, symmetry arises through the assembly of protein subunits organized according to precise geometric and mathematical principles. The icosahedron has long been regarded in various philosophical and spiritual traditions as a symbol associated with water, universal wisdom, and the flow of time. Another geometric form found in helical viruses is the spiral, a shape often associated with emergence, renewal, and creativity.

The project brings molecular-scale visual information into the artistic realm through representations of nanoscopic geometries imbued with symbolic and spiritual meaning. In doing so, it offers an alternative perspective on the material world, suggesting that geometry is one of the fundamental languages through which nature manifests form across different levels of fractal organization.