Bet You Never Thought You'd Find A Museum Here!

Jason deCaires Taylor

Ever since English sculptor, Jason deCaires was a child he was fascinated with coral reefs. He spent much of his childhood swimming through Malaysia's coast. He loved the ocean and its life underwater. Taylor's passion for scuba diving, under water photography and a conservationist led him to come up with making an underwater museum.

Due to water pollution, warmer waters and many other factors, over the past 30 years the Coral Reefs have had a decline in living condition. Taylor wanted to come up with a way to revive them. Coral needs to attach its-self to an equally hard surface. Taylor's sculptures are a perfect solution.

Jason deCaires Taylor, has already has two other underwater parks in Cancun, Mexico and Grenada. His third and newest project is in the southwest of Lanzarote, near the beach of Las Coloradas, in the municipality of Yaiza and will have over three hundred sculptures.

Two years in the making

After two years of creating these pieces of art, he wanted to make sure his sculptures are preserved, he used high-strength cement (high-density, PH neutral concrete). This particular cement does not harm the environment. Other components of his sculptures are stainless steel structures and fiber glass spun rebar.

The Raft of Lampedusa

His display will contain many different pieces - this one being the first is a homage to French Romantic painter Théodore Géricault's painting "The Raft of the Medusa. This depicts the current refugee crisis in Europe.

Taylor wrote:

"The work is not intended as a tribute or memorial to the many lives lost but as a stark reminder of the collective responsibility of our now global community,"

Mother Nature

After a while when Taylor goes back to photograph his displays - he captures the final touches mother nature has put on them.

Rubicon

The main display he calls "Rubicon", is of people walking completely unaware of what lies ahead.....towards a gate. "A point of no return or a portal to another world," Taylor said. His intent being to raise awareness of environmental threats to the ocean.

Designed to handle strong currents

Each piece has a platform that can be drilled into the sea's floor. Their anchoring is designed to with stand high ocean currents and even storms.

Sculpted after real people

One young boy who was a model for one of his sculptures said he was amazed and proud that his image will be forever preserved in history.

Each setting seems to have a story of its own

I am not sure what story or message this one has but when I first saw it it saddened me. I thought WOW! So many of us waste so much time mindlessly tuned to a picture box neglecting our minds and bodies. We should be doing something constructive.

Provides shelter

Many of his sculptures also provide shelter and hiding places for smaller fish.

Imitating life

There is saying - "Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life".

Oscar Wilde's 1889 essay The Decay of Lying that, "Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life".

Who knows, maybe this one is a tribute to him?

Being lifted to the boat

Here the sculptures are lined up by the shore as they are piece by piece hoisted up in to the boat that will then lower them into place in under the water.

50 Feet below

Here two divers are stabilizing one of the displays as it is slowly lowered into the water.

Coral reefs develop close to the surface because they need the sunlight, usually no more than 200 feet below the surface. Taylor places his work around 50 feet below the surface.

Museo Atlántico Lanzarote

"Museo Atlántico Lanzarote" is Europe's first underwater museum. Set to open January 2017 but already has opened for scuba divers on February 25, 2016.

For those who do not scuba dive, this exhibit can also been seen through glass bottom boats.

Enjoy the video - Here you will see many more of his amazing sculptures.