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Design Conversation with Christine Wertheim: The Crochet Coral Reef

  • Museum of Design Atlanta 1315 Peachtree Street Northeast Atlanta, GA, 30309 United States (map)

In-person at MODA

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About This Event

Join MODA for a Design Conversation with Christine Wertheim, co-creator of the internationally acclaimed Crochet Coral Reef project. Christine, along with her sister Margaret Wertheim, has spent nearly two decades exploring the intersection of art, science, mathematics, and community through crochet.

Their work, exhibited in museums across the world, addresses climate change and ocean health through stunning fiber installations that mimic the beauty—and fragility—of coral ecosystems. At MODA, the Coral Forests, a visually stunning and richly textured collection of crocheted coral environments by the Wertheim sisters, are currently on view as part of our exhibition THREADS of CHANGE: Design & Data.

In this conversation, Christine will share insights into the making of the Coral Forests, the evolution of the Crochet Coral Reef, and how craft-based practices can foster ecological awareness and collective action.

A Q&A with the artist will follow the talk.


About Christine Wertheim

Christine Wertheim is a poet, performer, artist, and former professor of critical studies at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Her work spans language, theory, feminism, and textile-based art. Alongside her sister Margaret Wertheim, she co-founded the Institute For Figuring and launched the Crochet Coral Reef project in 2005. Their collaborative work brings together communities from around the world to crochet coral-inspired forms that visualize the devastation of reef systems due to climate change.

The Crochet Coral Reef has been exhibited at the 58th Venice Biennale, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Smithsonian, and many more. It is one of the largest participatory science-and-art endeavors on the planet.


About the Crochet Coral Reef

The Crochet Coral Reef is a monumental art and science project by Christine and Margaret Wertheim that responds to the climate crisis and the plight of marine life through the art of crochet. What began as a poetic gesture—using yarn to represent coral formations—has grown into a global movement that merges mathematics, marine biology, environmental activism, and community crafting.

Since 2005, the project has engaged thousands of participants across continents in creating “satellite reefs,” bringing visibility to the devastating effects of climate change and plastic pollution on our oceans. At its heart, the Crochet Coral Reef is a deeply collaborative artwork that celebrates the power of collective creativity and the potential of art to inspire ecological consciousness.


Registration

  • $10 for MODA Members | $15 for future members

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May 17

Guided Tour of THREADS of CHANGE: Design & Data

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May 21

Digital Art Studio: Spaceships & Galaxies