MUSAN a terribly beautiful underwater sculpture museum located off the coast of Pernera beach in southeast Cyprus will give you a rush of adrenaline. This explosion of artwork will let you explore the nature profoundly.
The artist behind this wonderful natural art is none other than Jason deCaires Taylor, the ace of making marine sculptures. Taylor had worked on many underwater projects before including the Molinere Bay Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada and Mexico’s Isla Mujeres National Marine Park. He is the creator of the world’s first underwater sculpture park. Taylor’s works are no less than wonders that blows our mind, he aims at making works of art that turns into living breathing ecosystem.
The underwater museum which resembles a forest, costed nearly $1.1 million to bring into existence. The museum is situated within a marine protected area about 200 metres from Pernera beach.
The museum is placed in a beautiful, crystal clear sandy substrate and consists of around 93 sculptures, set between 8 and 10 meters of depth. The forest is made from pH neutral materials to avoid impacting the marine environment negatively.
With prioritizing the importance of marine lives, all the floating elements and sculptures are made from high grade marine stainless steel and the cement elements are made from pH neutral concrete. This will not only avoid marine pollution but will actually become habitat spaces for marine creatures. As a lot of sculptures transforms and promote coral and sponges growth which will eventually serve as home for marine life in future.
The sculptures are created and placed in such a way in the ocean that they not only exist on the sea floor but also traverse the water column and reach up to the surface which gives a very mythical and complex experience.
The main aim behind the creation of this underwater forest is to highlight the need to rewild the oceans which has been seriously depleted in the Mediterranean over the past 20 years.
According to Taylor his Sculptures works on a twofold purpose, first is work of art which mainly discuss social issues but also as living breathing artificial reefs. And the second is about creating and experience which will make people fall in love with marine world again.
Each sculptures serves different purpose, one of them intents at drawing the tourist away from fragile habitats, others are to highlight some of the issues surrounding global warming and climate change.
This beautiful interaction between man and nature will create a portal into space where not many people have the opportunity to visit. This awfully beautiful museum will take you to an another dimension which is so far yet very close from reality.