Kategorie: News
Jason deCaire's underwater forest of sculptures opened in Ajia Napa
On Saturday, July 31, the Museum of Sunken Sculptures in Ajia Napa - MUSAN - opened in Cyprus. With a great opening ceremony, the creators have put a lot of effort to present the new facility.
The creator of all the statues is the British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. An artist known for very many similar projects he has done all over the world: Underwater sculptures of the artist can also be found in Grenada, Lanzarote and Mexico. So it is not surprising that the underwater installations, created with the participation of local artists and craftsmen, look really great.
We from Taucher.Net were invited to participate in the opening of the Sunken Sculpture Museum. This gave us the opportunity to be one of the first to dive in MUSAN. Only after the official opening, which took place during an evening event, was the facility opened to the general public.
The idea for MUSAN was born back in 2014. In the opening speech, Minister Yiannis Karousos said that the new museum will strengthen Cyprus' role as a diving tourism destination. Local authorities expect the facility to attract 50,000 visitors annually. This assessment is in line with the words of Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios, who stated that diving tourism is one of the pillars of Cyprus' National Tourism Strategy 2030.
The total cost of establishing the underwater museum was one million euros. Jason deCaires Taylor created a total of 93 sculptures.
The museum and the underwater world
With his socially critical works, the artist conveys messages about the protection of the marine ecosystem. The animal population in the Mediterranean Sea has been endangered for years. With his exhibition, deCaires Taylor wants to portray the sea again as a place of gentle coexistence.
Small schools of fish have already gathered and one or the other crab can already be spotted. Particularly noteworthy are the "plant" sculptures with a buoy at the top ... One feels like in a living forest. Especially because these plants move with the waves due to the buoys and bend as if in the wind. It looks very impressive.
All the artworks were placed at a depth of up to 10 meters. Therefore MUSAN can be visited by divers and freedivers alike. The dive site is also suitable for non-experienced divers due to the very moderate depth. A comfortable "tour" through the underwater museum takes about 40-45 min.
It is currently planned that the diving schools get a slot of one hour; calculated from the time the boat docks at the underwater museum until it leaves again. This seems to be enough time for a smooth operation. The museum can only be booked through diving schools that have been accepted by the Agia Municipality and have all the requirements such as insurance, etc.
Further information:
MUSAN Museum Cyprus
MUSAN on Taucher.Net
Many thanks to the support of Daniel from Cyprus Diving Centre