Do you like museums? The place where they meet each other's past, present, and why not have a place for the future? A place where a bygone era comes to life and tells its long-forgotten story. How about visiting such a museum, but underwater and in a diving suit?
If that doesn't seem possible, think again! The invitation for the visit comes from British sculptor Jason Taylor, who created a series of such museums, the last of which is located off the coast of Isla Mujeres in the Riviera Maya. The museum is called "MUSA" (Museo Subacuático de Arte) and is considered the largest one in the world, with the other two being located in Cancun - Mexico and Grenada - Western India.
The area is also known as the "Isle of Women" and is a small strip of land with a length of 6 - 7 km and a width of no more than half a kilometer. The name is given by the Maya, who considered the island sacred, and is dedicated to the goddesses - healers and women. Numerous drawings of women after Conquista (the Spanish colonization of America) are a proof of this.
The museum is made up of 500 scenic sculptures. The project began in 2009 as an attempt to protect the world's second largest barrier reef, Mesoamerican. The museum's founder, Roberto Diaz Abraham, describes his work as "conservation art." Each sculpture contains special compartments where marine inhabitants can shelter and reproduce.
Five other artists have responded to Roberto's assistance - the English sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, who co-founded the museum, Salvador Quiroz Ennis, Rodrigo Quinones Reyes, Karen Martinez Salinas Martinez) and Enrique Mireles.
After Taylor sculpts her sculptures, in the nearby fishing town of Puerto Morelos, she paints them with neutral PH cement, which stimulates coral growth. Some of his sculptures are satirical views of humanity, such as his bankers sculpture. She portrays businessmen in suits burying their heads in the sand after attending a climate change conference in Cancun. It's a kind of "confession" that when it comes to action, no one wants to do anything about it. Taylor commented on this sculpture.
Each of his works was created with the thought of preserving and understanding marine life. For example, the Ear, which is a hydrophone and hard drive, allows researchers to explore the sea through the sounds of its inhabitants.
One of the iconic and most important sculptures in this peculiar museum is called "The Silent Evolution". Jason de Kires has used real models to create close 400 statues of people in different situations. It depicts the life of different cultures around the world, combining nature and art in a complex symbiosis.
"2 / 3 from our world is water, but there is still so much of an amazing world out there that is unfamiliar to us!" Taylor says.
With an area of over 420 square meters and a total weight of over 200 tons, exhibits at this "museum" attract curious visitors from all over the world and from all professions - from art lovers, through enthusiasts to professional divers. There are two different exhibitions at the museum: Manchones, which contains 275 sculptures and is at a depth of 8 meters, and "Punta Nuzic", at a depth of 4 meters. There is also a submarine, an alternative to diving. It is open all year round for visitors.
