After seeing him at work in Australia, the Maldives and off the coast of Cannes, artist Jason deCaires Taylor has returned to work beneath the surface of the sea and a few days ago opened another underwater museum in Cyprus, MUSAN – Museum of Underwater Sculpture Ayia Napa. 

200 metres from the shore of Ayia Napa, a small village on the southeast coast of Cyprus, the artist has installed 93 sculptures on the seabed, some of adults and children and others of trees and plants. The former represent hope in the future: children play and take possession of the space while holding cameras pointed at adults, the symbol of the human race. The latter form The Underwater Forest, the world’s first underwater forest. 

As always, Jason deCaires Taylor’s interventions are not just for aesthetic purposes. Every single sculpture is made from materials already present in the sea such as stones, rocks and shells, and they all have a neutral pH that does not generate changes in the environment. The aim of underwater museums is to attract marine species and stimulate their reproduction and growth. For this reason, the 93 pieces of MUSAN are installed at different depths, in order to accommodate as many species as possible and promote their conservation. 

The most interesting aspect, and one that the artist himself emphasises, is that underwater museums are never really finished because the seascape will always be changing and the appearance of the sculptures will change with it. 

Check out the photos of the Underwater Museum in Cyprus and the Underwater Forest below and follow Jason deCaires Taylor on Instagram to find out what seas his next project will take him to.