50 volunteers spent 3 months crocheting giant sea urchins to remind us to share the planet with them and countless other endangered ocean creatures
A team of artisans crocheted three sea urchins nearly as tall as 4-story buildings for Singapore’s annual i Light Marina Bay Festival. which is focused on sustainability, especially as it relates to marine life.
Against the backdrop of cold, masculine skyscrapers, the soft, feminine-shaped objects billowed in the wind, casting magnificent shadows during the day and illuminating the night skyline.
It took a team of 50 crocheters nearly 3 months to complete their sections of intricately patterned lace, which were then pieced together by Choi+Shine Architects and hung over the bay.
The oversized art installation is intended to represent the contrast between nature and the man-made environment, and achieve some sort of harmony between the two.
“Against light, the sea urchin’s natural form reveals one of the most spectacular patterns found in nature,” write the artists/architects.
Not coincidentally, Singapore and neighboring Japan are among the top consumers of sea urchins, which are considered a delicacy in sushi dishes. The ever increasing demand, along with the ever-increasing human population, threatens to wipe the creatures off the planet.