The Paper's reporter Qian Chengxi
Now a snorkeler or diver lucky enough to travel to the shores of the small French island of Île Sainte-Marguerite may not have imagined that they were about to face a surreal sight: a group of huge gray faces, all with their eyes closed.
Divers swim towards the sculptures under the sea
These cement sculptures, located on the seabed, are part of a new "underwater museum" built by British artist Jason de Caires Taylor near the city of Cannes. Located 3 meters deep underwater, the sculpture depicts images of six locals, from an 80-year-old local fisherman to a 9-year-old elementary school student. Each sculpture is two meters tall and weighs 12 tons.
The City of Cannes funded the project with the aim of raising awareness of the plight of the ocean. To place the sculptures, the old facilities in the water were cleaned up, including pipes, cables and, of course, a lot of marine litter.
Jason de Calles Taylor was a former diving instructor (the paper's private geography has reported on his deeds), and in 2006, Taylor decided to restart his career, pick up his college-era major and dream: sculpture creation, and combine it with the ocean he loves. Over the years, he has exhibited several works underwater around the world.
This time, Taylor spent four years creating the sculptures. He hopes the face sculptures will also evoke debates about identity, public image and appearance. After all, the island's history is closely linked to the legend of the "Man in the Iron Mask" in French history.
Like the installations created underwater in other regions of the world, he also expected the statues to attract flora and fauna to grow here. Taylor's artwork is essentially an artificial coral reef, simulating natural rock formations that are conducive to coral reproduction without harming the marine ecosystem.
Each sculpture is made of non-toxic, pH-neutral cement that does not contain any harmful contaminants. These cements are very durable and have a rough texture that promotes the attachment and growth of coral larvae. There are also small corners and dark grids formed by "skin" or folds of clothing that provide a home for fish and crustaceans. Therefore, after placement, they will gradually become an integral part of the local ecosystem. In past works, Taylor observed that it only takes a few days for young algae to begin to form, and then the fish eat the algae, and the new ecosystem takes shape... A month later, more pronounced changes were reflected in the sculpture's surface, and when he looked closely, he saw pebbles of polyps, worms, mollusks, and sponges.
Around the sculpture, more algae and aquatic plants are growing at an unusual rate, soon attracting thousands of fish, hermit crabs, starfish and sea urchins to feed here... A few months later, soft and hard corals also came, and the sculptural form became no longer legible.
Hopefully, they can eventually become a paradise for marine life
At present, this water is free to divers, who are free to swim among the statues and observe them. In the current era of social distancing, this is undoubtedly the safest way to "visit" museums. In the future, they may attract divers who would otherwise run to the natural reefs, helping the natural reefs gain some respite.
Editor-in-Charge: Ying Xu