Underwater Museum Atlantic

The first and so far only Europe's underwater museum (or museum of underwater figures) called Atlantico is an amazing spectacle. The exposition at the bottom of the ocean can frighten on the one hand, delight on the other and amaze on the third. But for sure it will not leave anyone indifferent. Hundreds of concrete human figures rest in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, attracting tourists and sea creatures.

The Atlantic Museum is located off the southern coast of the island of Lanzarote in the Canary archipelago. The sculptures are located at the bottom of the ocean at a depth from 12 to 15 meters near the resort of Playa Blanca. The total area where the statues are located is about 2500 square meters.

A little about the author and why he did it

The inspiration and creator of the Atlantic Underwater Museum is the British artist Jason de Caires Taylor (born 1974). He is quite an interesting man with a broad outlook and a boundless love for the sea. Jason is not only a sculptor, but also a diver.

He is well aware that man usually causes irreparable damage to the environment, and for his side tries to benefit both tourists and nature. For his statues Taylor uses a special type of inert marine cement designed to last for hundreds of years. He avoids using metals because they are prone to corrosion and pollute the environment.

By installing sculptures underwater, Jason has several goals.

First: underwater statues attract tourists.

Second: Underwater sculptures attract marine life and promote the growth of animal and plant life, symbolizing the symbiosis between man and nature. Many marine life takes an interest in such underwater objects. As a diver, Taylor knows that if you place an object underwater, corals and small fish will quickly take over. Taylor's team chooses the most barren and desolate places to place the sculptures.

Third: Jason tries his installations to distract tourists from the fragile ecosystem of nearby coral reefs.

You probably know Jason de Caires Taylor as the author of the famous MUSA underwater museum in Cancun off the coast of Mexico.

On the island of Lanzarote he used the same technology as in Cancun. The goal of these ambitious projects is to achieve a positive interaction between humans and the underwater world. According to Jason's team, the sculptures submerged in the water increase the number of marine life in the area by more than 200%.

To see the stunning underwater world in its natural setting, head to the amazing Palau Archipelago.

The main installations of the underwater museum

A total of 300 life-size sculptures are exhibited in the museum. They are grouped into art exhibits illustrating the many questions of humanity.

Boaters (Los Jolateros)

The composition depicts a group of children on brass boats called "jolateros". It is a metaphor for the possible future of our children and how difficult it is to sail through life on a fragile and unstable boat.

Immortal

The sculpture consists of concrete sticks and represents a traditional funeral pyre. The prototype was a local fisherman from the island of La Graciosa, on the north coast of Lanzarote.

The Raft of Lampedusa

This installation seeks to show the tragedy and hope of refugees from Africa, who have begun to arrive in Europe en masse on old unreliable boats.

Disconnected

A couple taking selfies makes us think about the use of new technology and encourages us to look inside ourselves. The sculpture symbolizes the modern addiction to social media and the pursuit of likes.

Crossing The Rubicon

The large-scale composition consists of 35 human figures walking toward the entrance in the underwater wall. It is a boundary between realities and a point of no return. Perhaps it is a symbolic entrance to the Atlantic Ocean. The wall extends 30 meters in length and 4 meters in height.

It has only one rectangular doorway. The wall is a monument to absurdity, an unnecessary barrier that can be bypassed from either side. This sculptural composition tells us that in fact there are no borders in the world, all borders are just conventions. Humanity has no right to separate the oceans, the atmosphere and wildlife. We often forget that we are all an integral part of the living system of the planet, and are responsible for the environment.

Hybrid Garden

These sculptures represent a fusion of nature and man. Look closely, the statues are half human, half cactus.

The Portal

Here you will see a hybrid animal-human sculpture that looks into a large square mirror, symbolizing the moving surface of the ocean. The composition depicts water in water. It is like a portal to another world.

Deregulated

It looks like an ordinary child's swing, with a respectable man sitting on it. The composition demonstrates the insanity and arrogance of the moneyed world toward nature.

Photographers

These are ordinary photographers who are symbols of the modern world of new technologies.

The Human Gyre

Perhaps the most impressive and controversial exhibit at the Atlantic Museum is the Human Circle. Here, more than 200 human figures are piled in a circle, creating a surreal cycle of human bodies.

Здесь мы видим людей разных возрастов и из всех слоев общества. Кроме того, что это сложное образование создает среду обитания для морских жителей, эта художественная инсталляция напоминает о том, что все мы эволюционировали из морского мира, и соответственно подвержены движениям и воле океана.

The Atlantic Underwater Museum's sculpture layout