The Crochet Coral Reef Project" is a traveling art exhibition that recreates the beauty of the ocean's coral reefs using crochet.
Coral reefs are under threat due to climate change, so a group of artists have used yarn to raise awareness of the issue.
The Crochet Coral Reef Project is a traveling art exhibition that recreates the beauty of the ocean's coral reefs using one of the world's oldest handicrafts — crochet. The artists behind the project also strive to bring awareness to how the invaluable coral reefs are disappearing.
Tens of thousands of people lent their crochet talents to create this one-of-a-kind art project.
"When we started the project in 2005, and we put out a little call on our website inviting people to participate with us, I think we thought maybe 20, 30, 40 people would ultimately join us in this strange fusion of mathematics and science and art and craft," artist Margaret Wertheim explained. "And today, it's over 20,000 people, and I think we could never have conceived that."
A study supported by the United Nations says 14% of the world's coral reefs were lost between 2008 and 2018. That's enough coral to equal an area two-and-a-half times the size of the Grand Canyon National Park.
Just like the ocean, artists and sisters Margaret and Christine Wertheim say The Crochet Coral Reef Project is ever-evolving.
They hope it inspires people to take action against climate change so that their crochet reef isn't the only coral reef humans get to see.
