The ORIGINAL Crochet Coral Reef Project

Greetings and salutations!

After sharing my tide pool creation with you, it seems like a great time to share some of the discoveries I came upon while doing research for May's art challenge. I found an amazing project called The Crochet Coral Reef that was created by The Institute for Figuring that features not only the basic hyperbolic plane that I mentioned in my Tide Pool post but SO much more, all brought about to raise awareness and bring communities together!

Margaret Wertheim in the Föhr Reef, Museum Kunst der Westküste, Föhr, Germany, 2012.

“The Institute For Figuring (IFF) is a Los-Angeles based non-profit that pioneers creative new methods for engaging the public about scientific and mathematical issues by putting people and communities at the core.

The Crochet Reef project resides at the intersection of mathematics, marine biology, handicraft and community art practice, and also responds to the environmental crisis of global warming and the escalating problem of oceanic plastic trash. 
Crochet Coral Reef installations have been exhibited in art and science museums worldwide, including the Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh), the Hayward Gallery (London), the Science Gallery (Dublin), and the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (Washington D.C.). Seen by more than three million people, the Crochet Coral Reef is now one of the largest participatory science + art endeavors in the world.” - The Institute for Figuring

Here are just a few of the amazing creations that have been part of this crochet extravaganza!!! 

Crochet Coral Forest at the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute, UAE, 2014. White form (Coral Forest: Nin-Imma) crocheted from plastic shopping bags and Saran wrap, black form (Coral Forest: Stheno) crocheted from video tape featuring pieces by Evelyn Hardin and Christine Wertheim.

Coral Forest: Medusa, at the New York University Abu Dhabi Institute, UAE, 2014. Featuring spiral horns and tube worms by the Scottsdale Reefers and video tape danglers by Christine Wertheim.

Detail of the Irish Satellite Reef, at the Science Gallery, Trinity College, Dublin. 2010. Tube worm with hyperbolic frills by Irene Lundgaard and spiral horns by Una Morrison.

Beaded hyperbolic jellyfish by Vonda N. McIntyre. McIntyre is the author many classic works of feminist science fiction, and the The Sun and the Moon, a fantasy about a friendship between a courtier of Louis XIV and a sea monster. The book has recently been made into a major feature film, set for release in 2015.

The Smithsonian Community Reef was a centerpiece of the museum exhibition. Over 800 participants from the Metropolitan D.C. area, around the country and the world created over 4000 pieces of coral for the endeavor and also helped construct the Reef.

Another exciting development of May's Tide Pool theme is that through sharing my creation this past month, I also connected with someone on Instagram that is making a recycled reef installation in San Francisco with her mom right now!! Namaste Stitches has built a reef at the California Academy of Science SF that will be up until the fall OR if it holds up to kids and weather, possibly longer!!! If you are in that area, GO CHECK IT OUT!!! 😊

Plastic bag coral sculptures by @mariana.nelson.

This is made by crocheting with plarn (plastic yarn made from strips of plastic bags etc)

Crochet pieces by my Ma & I using plarn, electrical wire, fishing line, rescued yarn and other bits.

If you are interested in pursuing more images of other Crochet Reefs, there is a nice collection of 25 images here. They do not seem to credit which reef installations the numbered photos are from, however it is awesome fiber art eye candy nonetheless and I hope you enjoy!! 😊

Sending love and light!! ~ Raven