LANZAROTE, SPAIN — A museum featuring more than 300 sculptures opened to the public this week — 14 meters beneath the sea.
The Museo Atlantico is located off the south coast of Lanzarote in Spain’s Canary Islands and is the first of its kind in Europe.
The 2,500-square-meter site is best explored by scuba diving around it, but if you don’t want to strap on a wetsuit and oxygen tank, it can also be viewed through a glass-bottom boat.
The permanent sculptures are the work of British artist Jason Taylor, the Local reported.
All the sculptures have been made with high-density pH-neutral concrete so they don’t damage the marine ecosystem. Taylor hopes to encourage marine life to prosper in the area, which is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.
Some of the works carry a political message, such as a piece depicting migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea. The artist said it was a tribute to migrants who succeeded but also those whose dreams and hopes remain at the bottom of the sea.
Taylor spent the past two years living in Lanzarote, creating artworks for the museum, and started dropping sculptures onto the seabed about a year ago.
He said he hoped the museum could foster a better understanding of the marine environment and how much we depend on it, according to the Telegraph.
