The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) has reinstalled Ernesto Neto’s monumental site-specific commission, "SunForceOceanLife," in its Cullinan Hall. The immersive installation consists of a massive, hand-woven crochet labyrinth suspended 12 feet in the air, featuring a vibrant color palette that symbolizes the cyclical relationship between the sun, sea, and earth. Visitors are invited to walk through the spiral pathways, which are filled with soft plastic balls designed to challenge their balance and induce a meditative state.
This re-presentation highlights Neto’s signature fusion of contemporary sculpture with traditional Brazilian craft and Indigenous wisdom. By scaling up the domestic art of crochet to a 6,000-pound architectural intervention, Neto transforms a gendered vernacular tradition into a communal, sensory experience. The work underscores the museum's commitment to Latin American art and explores the physical connection between the human body and the natural environment.