Ernesto Neto's Monumental Crochet Installation SunForceOceanLife Returns to Houston Museum

Ernesto Neto's immersive installation SunForceOceanLife has been reinstalled at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, following its original 2020 debut. The Brazilian artist created this monumental work through a 2019 commission from MFAH, resulting in one of his largest crochet pieces to date. Suspended 12 feet above ground in Cullinan Hall, the structure invites visitors to walk across hand-woven pathways filled with soft plastic balls that shift underfoot. Measuring 30 x 53 x 35 feet and weighing 6,000 pounds, the installation features a color gradient from greens and yellows to oranges and reds, representing the relationship between sun, sea, and earth. Neto's grandmother taught him crochet, a craft he transforms from delicate women's work into environmental-scale sculptures. According to curator Mari Carmen, the experience evokes a hammock, connecting to Indigenous traditions. Visitors must sign a waiver, wear museum-issued socks, and navigate without assistance. The exhibition runs through September 7, 2026.