Recently I read in the local daily, Gulf News, about an innovative project in Spain. The report was about an underwater museum that aims to integrate art with the environment. I did further research on the web to find out more about the museum and felt that this interesting 'art cum eco' innovation was worth sharing with all members.

Europe's first underwater museum 'Museo Atlántico' spans across a 2500 square meter plot of the sea floor and welcomes public on the ocean bed, off the Canary Island of Lanzarote, in Spain.

It is designed by the British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, whose other underwater exhibitions are located in Mexico, the Bahamas and Grenada. Taylor felt that the amazing seascapes at Lanzarote will provide a "gateway to the Atlantic and encourage people to love the planet more through an understanding of marine life", as was reported in the local Voz de Lanzarote newspaper. According to the artist, the exhibition "aims to create a strong visual dialogue between art and nature".

The project was conceived as a place to promote education, with the aim to preserve and protect the marine and natural environment, sending a latent message in defense of the oceans. The museum has 10 different groups of sculptures, designed to generate an artificial reef on a large scale.

These sculptures are half human, half cactus, and are an important part of the underwater botanic garden, submerged 12-14 metres under the Atlantic Ocean. Among the nearly 200 life-size human figures, some are modeled after local residents. They  portray harmony between nature and humanity, drawing inspiration also from the rich vegetation of Lanzarote.

The sculptures are made from environmentally friendly and pH-neutral cement materials and will attract plant and animal life, just like artificial reefs. Over time, this will help the marine biomass flourish and facilitate the reproduction of species on the island.

Anyone wishing to discover the Museo Atlántico must do so with certified diving companies and EDG-trained instructors (Eco Diver Guides).

Though there are political debates and oppositions to the project, with many claiming that the money could have been put to humanitarian or development projects, I do believe that such projects can connect us to nature. Assuming that the project has been planned with thorough environmental analysis, I look forward to it contributing to the marine ecosystem, and serve as an example of sustainable art with a message.

Please refer to the following websites for more information and details. I have filtered the above information from these websites. They offer very interesting details and photos of the museum, especially description of the respective sculptures, each delivering its own meaningful message.

http://www.cactlanzarote.com/en/cact/the-underwater-museum-lanzarote-museo-atlantico/

https://www.divecollegelanzarote.com/en/museo-atlantico-lanzarote/

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-25/europes-first-underwater-museum-opens-in-spain/8210242

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-30244196

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/photo-essays/2017-01-12/14-chilling-pictures-of-incredible-underwater-sculptures

Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VSWrnB4xsg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4P24QGxpbk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8k_ZbFLNwM

The museum in Mexico where the sculptures are already acting as reefs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8k_ZbFLNwM