Underwater works of art from around the world
It was in 2004 that British artist Jason deCaires Taylor immersed his first s underwater tattoos in the Caribbean Sea ...off the coast of Grenada. Three years later, he repeated the operation in Cancún, Mexico, alongside several artists, to create the largest underwater museum in the world. 500 human-sized statues are on display.
An underwater ecomuseum in Cannes
After 4 years of work, it is in Cannes that the sculptor decided to immerse his new works of art, according to the theme of masks. This theme refers in particular to the famous "Iron Mask", a famous prisoner locked up in the state prison on Sainte-Marguerite Island from 1687 to 1698.
6 Cannes faces immersed under water
These 6 faces moulded after the faces of 6 cannois have been carved in neutral pH cement and are 2 m high for a weight of about 10 tons each. They were immersed in the vicinity of the Lérins islands, at a distance of 84 to 132 m from the shore and at a depth of 3 to 5 m. Thus, to go and discover its monumental sculptures, a simple mask and snorkel are enough.
An ecological project
But this facility is also intended to be environmentally friendly, since the objective is to provide a refuge for underwater life. Over the years, these statues could become artificial reefs, sheltering the local fauna and flora.
Finally, the creation of the ecomuseum has made it possible to extend the no-morning zone between the Lérins islands.
Several underwater museums in the Mediterranean
The ecomuseum in Cannes is not the first of its kind, as Anthony Lacanaud gave life to a similar exhibition with the underwater museum in Marseille, and Marc Petit did the same by exhibiting his sculptures in Ajaccio.
