The president of the Lanzarote Council, Oswaldo Betancort, has announced together with the British sculptor Jason deCaires the intention to "reopen" the Atlantic Museum.
After the meeting - in which the CEO of the Lanzarote Foreign Promotion Society (SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote), Héctor Fernández, and the managing director of Promotur Canarias, José Juan Lorenzo, participated, as a sign of support for the project -; the island president highlighted the importance of resuming an initiative that, in his opinion, "places the island on the world map of sustainable tourism activities that take place in the seas and oceans."
"The project links a sculptural work as important as this with the richness of the seabed of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, while allowing us to differentiate ourselves as a tourist destination from competitors," said Oswaldo Betancort, highlighting the importance of collaboration between the artist - whom he thanked for his visit to the island Council - and SPEL, so that the initiative will soon become a reality.
Likewise, Héctor Fernández explained that a technical and legal working group will be created, in which the Council, SPEL and the artist will be present. "The purpose of this group will be to define a model and establish a timetable for the opening of the Museum; a reopening - he recalled - which is a repeated demand from the island's diving clubs."
For his part, Jason deCaires, who has returned to the island after five years, said that "Lanzarote and La Graciosa are two very special places for his artistic project", and stressed that, "after this time without visiting the island, the Atlantic Museum continues to change daily, due to the dynamics of the marine ecosystem, so I will take a dive to know its current state," he said. "Today we have started a very constructive way of working with the island institution with a positive vision," said the British sculptor.
The only underwater museum in Europe
The Atlantic Museum, in Playa Blanca, was inaugurated in 2016 and is the only underwater museum in Europe, where you can dive among the impressive sculptures of the artist Jason deCaires Taylor, known for his underwater creations. It is located at a depth of between 12-14 meters.
It was developed as a huge artificial reef and consists of ten different groups of sculptures. Thus, for example, the Rubicon is a group of 35 sculptures of people walking towards a beautiful wall with an opening. The real residents of Lanzarote have been used as models for these sculptures. You can also see the famous Lampedusa raft, a reference to the refugee crisis in Europe. Another part of the museum is a group of children in small boats, called Los Jolateros.
In addition, there are several images, which are half cactus and half human, representing the intertwining between man and nature. In reference to modern society and technology, there are also sculptures of several photographers and a couple who are taking a selfie. In the Portal, a figure looks at a mirror in which the surface of the ocean is reflected. The Unregulated shows a recreation park in which businessmen in suits play on a swing and seesaw.
The last group of sculptures shows about 200 figures of people arranged in a circle. With this impressive reef of images, the artist wants to draw attention to the beauty of the underwater world and the need to protect it.
The art of Jason deCaires Taylor
In 2006, Jason deCaires Taylor created the world's first underwater sculpture park in Grenada. National Geographic "considers this park to be one of the 25 wonders of the world." In 2009 he continued with MUSA, an underwater museum with more than 500 sculptures on the coast of Cancun in Mexico. These ambitious projects aim to achieve a positive interaction between people and the underwater world.
The art of Jason deCaires Taylor is "unique and shows how man-made objects, once sunk into the ocean, become artificial reefs full of marine life. His art objects are, therefore, positive examples of nature conservation," adds the Council. From his perspective, "his works contribute to improving environmental awareness and at the same time offer the opportunity to admire the natural beauty of the fascinating underwater world."
