Coral Forest – Helsinki, installed in an underground ammunition bunker built by the Russian army on Vallisaari Island, Finland.

The Crochet Coral Reef is in the Helsinki Biennial – opening June 12, 2021.

Helsinki Biennial 2021: The Same Sea, gathers together 40 artists and artist collectives whose work reflects on the interconnectedness of humans, the environment, and all living things. For the exhibition, Christine and Margaret Wertheim worked with the people of Helsinki to fabricate the Helsinki Satellite Reef – to which nearly 3000 Finns contributed. The Wertheim’s have also overseen construction of 4 new  Coral Forest sculptures assembled from an epic array of plastic crochet pieces by made by Helsinki Reefers. At once ludicrous and serious, these totemic works draw our attention to the tsunami of plastic trash pouring into the world’s oceans. This Helsinki Coral Forest is constructed entirely from recycled plastic, including 200+ kilos of offcuts from the industrial production of toilet paper packaging; the works are co-curated by Margaret and Christine along with a quartet of talented local ladies: Lotta Kjellberg, Elina Ahlstedt, Noora El Harouny and Tuija Maija Piironen. For more information about the biennial installation see here.

Team Finland: Elani, Lotta, Noora, and Tuija Maija, curators of the Helsinki Satellite Reef.