The Crochet Coral Reef | Fiber Nation | Tales of Textiles, Craft, and Culture

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Picture a giant aquarium full of coral. Jellyfish float in one corner and kelp dangles down over spreading fans. There are sea sponges and wavy things that look like brains. Some of the coral formations are 8 feet tall, and the whole thing is a symphony of color and light.

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But the most marvelous thing? This coral reef is made of yarn. In this episode, we dive into a place where art, ecology, science, and math come together into something extraordinary. Welcome to the Crochet Coral Reef.

Crochet coral reef made of yarn and trash — Coral forest made of yarn and trash | Photo by Stephanie Veto

The Crochet Coral Reef is the brainchild of Margaret Wertheim and her sister Christine. Both are from Queensland, Australia, which is also the home of the Great Barrier Reef. This coral structure is so large you can see it from space, but it is rapidly shrinking from the effects of climate change and pollution. Margaret is a science writer, and Christine is an artist and critic; both are keen crocheters. They wanted to do some sort of project to draw attention to what was happening to the reef.

Margaret Wertheim head shot — Margaret Wertheim

“Some sort of project” is now a global exhibition, currently on display in 5 different cities. In 2019 the Crochet Coral Reef was shown at the Venice Biennale, perhaps the most prestigious art event in the world.

Crochet coral reef at Venice Biennale — Hyperbolic coral at the Venice Biennale, 2019 | Photo courtesy of Venice Biennale

The Crochet Coral Reef is remarkable in several ways. It’s a collective project made by volunteers, and every reef exhibit is different by design. It’s also an exercise in hyperbolic geometry: a super-complicated and abstract concept I was nuts to even consider doing a podcast about.

Hyperbolic geometry in crochet design — In hyperbolic space, no one can hear you scream because they are too busy crocheting stuff.

In the geometry we learn in school, everything is flat and/or pointy. In hyperbolic geometry, everything is super bendy and shaped like a Pringles potato chip. Or a curly crochet thingy that looks an awful lot like coral.

Crochet coral reef in Helsinki — Current exhibition in Helsinki. There is a sad story about this in the episode.

There is a lot in this episode: art, science, math, ecology. There’s also a lot of emotion, from delight to despair to hope. Take a look at some of the incredible forms here, and then dive into the episode.

Crochet coral forest at Museum of Art and Design — Coral Forest at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York

Crochet coral at Museum of Arts and Design — Staghorn Corals at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York

Note: While we do a lot of research and fact checking, sometimes we commit a whopper by misspeaking and not catching it. Euclid, the Greek mathematician, lived 2,300 years ago, not 23,000. Also, when it comes to the NYC subway system, it’s the A train, not the A line.

Happy listening,
Allison

Links for this Episode

Hyperbolic Crochet

Dr. Taimina’s book on hyperbolic crochet: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568814526/studi360-20?asin=1568814526&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1

Want to crochet a hyperbolic thing? Here’s how: http://pi.math.cornell.edu/~dwh/papers/crochet/crochet.html

Articles and Incredible Photos

Science and Art

Real Coral

Climate Change and Global Warming

Be sure to check out the latest episode of Fiber Nation, The Crochet Coral Reef! You can listen on the player above, or wherever you prefer to get your podcasts. DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE VIA YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE!

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ragdiann1 February 26, 2022

I enjoyed this so much. I am a crocheter (hooker) of many generations too. I personally have known 5 generations ranging from my great-grandmother to my own son, who are or have crocheted. The comment that if someone screamed, we wouldn’t hear them, was hilarious. Perhaps because we would be too busy counting and would just start counting louder and louder. Thank you for this podcast. – Ann

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