As we navigate and understand the world around us, human nature compels us to observe our environment, recognize patterns, adapt our thinking, solve problems, and answer questions. Designers learn from these natural tendencies to create puzzles that challenge us to see the world in new and different ways.

SOLVE is organized around five core skills that are often employed by puzzle designers: observation, correlation, pattern recognition, computational thinking, and executive thinking. Featured objects and stories illustrate each of these skills, and give the solver a framework to use when encountering puzzles across any facet of their lives.

Chicago art critic Katharine Kuh once mused “we can learn to look, but to see is another matter.” While looking is merely a physical act, truly seeing something requires understanding and mental processing. Puzzlers are distinguished by their ability to see. This exhibition helps us gain the ability to see better, giving us the tools to level up our game.

This exhibition is in partnership with The Mystery League.