The first underwater museum in the Mediterranean Sea has opened off the coast of Cannes, France. The project, designed by Jason Decaires Taylor, features a series of six three-dimensional monuments , each measuring over two metres tall and weighing ten tonnes . Placed at a depth of two to three metres, the works of art took over four years to create . Open to divers , the museum is surrounded by crystal-clear waters and sits on a white sand beach amidst seagrass meadows on the protected part of Sainte-Marguerite Island. The six artworks are based on portraits of members of the local community , spanning a range of ages and professions. Each face is significantly enlarged and sectioned into two parts, the outer part resembling a mask .

The mask is also a metaphor for the ocean : on one side, it shows strength and resilience; on the other, fragility and decay. “From the land, we see the surface, calm and serene, or powerful and majestic, yet beneath the surface lies a fragile and perfectly balanced ecosystem – one that has been continually degraded and polluted over the years by human activity,” explains Jason Decaires Taylor. Part of the project involved a significant cleanup of the site , which previously served as a decommissioned marine infrastructure site, removing debris such as old engines and pipelines. The artwork was specifically designed with pH-neutral materials to attract marine fauna and flora. The entire site was sealed off from boats, making it safe for divers and preventing damage from anchors. Source: designboom.