Cyprus's New Underwater Museum Aims to Raise Awareness on Climate Change

The Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa (MUSAN) opened its installation to the public on August 2. Now, the world can visit and admire the latest project of well-known reef artist, Jason deCaires Taylor. His new exhibition comprises 93 artworks that form a sunken forest near the coast of Pernera beach in Ayia Napa, Cyprus.

Placed across over 160 meters of sand and resting 10 meters below sea level, Taylor’s botanical sculptures make up the first underwater forest. The site, a marine protected area, was chosen by the government to highlight the value of protected spaces.

With his artwork, Taylor aimed to promote ocean conservation and raise awareness regarding the impact of climate change. His primary focus was to explore the relationship between man and nature, hoping to emphasize the importance of “rewilding our natural spaces” and “reforesting areas of barren habitat”.

Over the past 20 years, Mediterranean marine life has gone through tremendous suffering. The artist wanted to communicate this state of emergency through his statues. In the installation, children are depicted playing in the forest, aiming their cameras at humanity, wishing for nature to return in the future.

As part of a particular eco-art movement, Taylor’s art pieces are designed to interact with their surroundings uniquely. When enough time has passed, nature will substitute the sculptures, providing food and shelter for various species.

Every piece made by Jason deCaires Taylor was created with a pH-neutral cement that facilitates coral growth. Through the use of this material, the artist is contributing to his goal of returning nature to what it once was. Having installed over 1000 sculptures, he has spread his work across the world, including places such as the Gulf of Mexico, fjords of Norway, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Bibliography

DeCaires Taylor, J. & Constantinou, C. (2021, August 5) Cyprus’s haunting new underwater sculpture park – in pictures. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2021/aug/05/ayia-napa-cyprus-haunting-new-underwater-sculpture-park-in-pictures

DeCaires Taylor, J. (2021, August 5) Jason deCaires Taylor's Underwater Galley in Cyprus.[Photograph] Cool Hunting. https://coolhunting.com/culture/jason-decaires-taylors-underwater-gallery-in-cyprus/

Gillespie, A. (2021, August 1) FIRST LOOK: Underwater Museum Opens in Cyprus. ScubaDiving. https://www.scubadiving.com/first-look-underwater-museum-opens-in-cyprus

Hardingham-Gill, T. (2021, August 17) The underwater forest growing in the Med. CNN News. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/inside-museum-of-underwater-sculpture-in-cyprus/index.html

Pires, S. (2021, August 4) The First Underwater Museum in the Mediterranean Is Now Open in Cyprus. [Photograph] My Modern Met. https://mymodernmet.com/jason-decaires-taylor-musan-museum/