An underwater art museum, teeming with life | Jason deCaires Taylor

Summary

The artist recounts his journey of creating the world's first underwater sculpture park, transforming marine environments into vibrant ecosystems. With projects like 'Ocean Atlas' and underwater botanical gardens, he uses art to foster coral growth and fish aggregation, while raising awareness of ocean conservation. His work has led to tangible environmental benefits, such as new marine protected areas and increased public engagement with the ocean's fragility, urging a shift in perception towards viewing the ocean as a sacred entity worthy of preservation.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The artist's first underwater sculpture, 'The Lost Correspondent,' was submerged off Grenada, leading to the creation of the world's first underwater sculpture park.
• 🌊 The artist collaborated with a marine biologist and dive center to transform the sculpture into a habitat that grew into a vibrant underwater community.
• 📚 The artist's work in Mexico started with casting local fishermen, evolving into a movement for ocean defense and an underwater museum with over 500 living sculptures.
• 🏺 'Ocean Atlas' in the Bahamas and the underwater botanical garden in Lanzarote are examples of large-scale designs that encourage marine life using pH-neutral cement and specific positioning.
• 🔨 The artist uses materials and techniques that provide stable platforms for coral polyps to attach and aggregate fish, even incorporating living habitats within sculptures like the VW Beetle.
• 🤔 The artist questions the difficulty of exhibiting in the ocean, yet finds the results awe-inspiring, with the ocean offering a unique and ever-changing exhibition space.
• 🌍 The sculptures become part of the sea the moment they are submerged, forming new reefs and evolving into a world that amazes the artist, showcasing nature's unmatched creativity.
• 🏞️ The artist emphasizes the importance of viewing the ocean as sacred, akin to revered places and objects, to inspire protection and conservation.
• 🔍 The artist's work has had positive environmental impacts, such as creating new habitats, drawing attention to pollution, and supporting marine protection areas.
• 🌐 The artist aspires to collaborate with various professionals to envision and create better futures for the oceans, extending beyond sculpture and art.
• 🚀 The artist envisions a future where art and innovation can inspire new ways of seeing and protecting the oceans, as sacred and precious environments.

Q & A

What was the artist's first underwater sculpture called and where was it submerged?

The artist's first underwater sculpture was called 'The Lost Correspondent' and it was submerged off the coast of Grenada in an area affected by Hurricane Ivan.

How did the artist's first sculpture transform over time?

The first sculpture transformed from one into two, then into 26, eventually creating the world's first underwater sculpture park.

What happened when the artist moved to Mexico and started casting local fishermen?

The artist's project in Mexico grew from casting local fishermen to a small community and almost an entire movement of people in defense of the sea, leading to the creation of an underwater museum with over 500 living sculptures.

What inspired the artist to create underwater sculptures?

The artist was inspired by the beauty and fragility of marine life and the need to raise awareness about ocean conservation.

Outlines

00:00

🌊 Sculpting the Ocean: Creation of the World's First Underwater Sculpture Park

The speaker recounts the inception of their first underwater sculpture, 'The Lost Correspondent,' and its unexpected transformation into a thriving underwater sculpture park off Grenada's coast. Collaborating with marine biologists and local divers, the artist utilized pH-neutral cement to create stable habitats for marine life, leading to the growth of an underwater museum with over 500 living sculptures. The artist's work has evolved to include large-scale installations like 'Ocean Atlas' in the Bahamas and an underwater botanical garden in Lanzarote, emphasizing the use of materials that foster marine life. The summary highlights the challenges and the awe-inspiring beauty of exhibiting art in the ocean, as well as the artist's realization that once submerged, the sculptures become part of the sea and its evolving ecosystems.

05:03

🐠 The Impact of Art on Ocean Conservation and Awareness

This paragraph delves into the profound impact the artist's underwater projects have had on ocean conservation. The speaker discusses the public's response to their work, suggesting it taps into a primal connection with nature. The artist's installations have inadvertently led to environmental activism, such as the discovery of an oil leak and the designation of a marine-protected area in Grenada. The speaker emphasizes the importance of viewing oceans as sacred spaces, akin to revered landmarks, and the need for collective responsibility in their preservation. The narrative also touches on the artist's broader mission to collaborate with various experts to envision a sustainable future for the oceans and to inspire a new perspective on marine environments.

10:04

🌏 Envisioning a Future for Oceans: From Underwater Art to Global Conservation

The final paragraph outlines the artist's vision for the future of ocean conservation, extending beyond the realm of art. The speaker imagines an underwater Noah's Ark accessible through a dry-glass viewing tunnel, aiming to inspire a new generation with the ocean's wonders. The artist calls for big thinking and collective willpower to protect the oceans, highlighting recent installations like the 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' in London to raise awareness about climate change. The summary underscores the artist's plea for recognizing the oceans' sanctity and the urgent need for global action to safeguard these vital ecosystems.

Keywords

💡Exhibition

An exhibition is a public display of works of art or items of interest. In the context of the video, the artist's first exhibition refers to the debut of their underwater sculpture, 'The Lost Correspondent,' which marked the beginning of their journey in creating underwater art installations. The term is integral to the video's theme as it sets the stage for the artist's exploration of marine environments through art.

💡Underwater Sculpture Park

An underwater sculpture park is a unique art installation located beneath the sea, consisting of sculptures designed to promote marine life and coral growth. The video describes the world's first underwater sculpture park, which evolved from one sculpture to 26, illustrating the transformative power of art in marine conservation and the artist's role in creating such spaces.

💡Marine Biologist

A marine biologist is a scientist who studies organisms living in the ocean and marine environments. In the script, the artist collaborates with a marine biologist, emphasizing the interdisciplinary approach to art and science in creating sustainable underwater art that contributes to marine ecosystems.

💡Ocean Atlas

In the video, 'Ocean Atlas' refers to a specific large-scale underwater sculpture in the Bahamas, rising 16 feet to the surface and weighing over 40 tons. It exemplifies the artist's ambitious projects that not only serve as art but also function as habitats for marine life, highlighting the theme of art's potential to positively impact the environment.

💡Coral Polyps

Coral polyps are small, soft-bodied organisms that form the base of coral reefs. The video mentions the use of pH-neutral cement textured to allow coral polyps to attach, demonstrating the artist's consideration of marine biology in the design of their sculptures to foster coral growth and contribute to reef ecosystems.

💡Habitat

A habitat is the natural environment in which a plant or animal lives and grows. The video discusses the creation of new habitats through the artist's underwater sculptures, which serve as platforms for marine life, emphasizing the dual purpose of art as both aesthetic expression and environmental conservation.

💡Marine Protected Area

A marine protected area is a designated region of ocean space that has legal protection to preserve both marine habitats and the wildlife that depends on them. The video mentions that the Grenada sculpture park influenced the government to designate a marine-protected area, showcasing the impact of art on policy and environmental protection.

💡Crustaceans

Crustaceans are a group of aquatic animals that include crabs, lobsters, and sea urchins. The script describes how the artist's sculptures, such as the VW Beetle, are designed with internal habitats to encourage the growth of crustaceans, illustrating the artist's intention to create thriving ecosystems within their art.

💡Sacred

The term 'sacred' refers to something regarded with deep respect and reverence. In the video, the artist describes the creation of underwater spaces that evoke a sense of the sacred, highlighting the spiritual dimension of their work.

Highlights

Ten years ago, the speaker had their first exhibition and made their first sculpture, 'The Lost Correspondent,' which was submerged off the coast of Grenada in an area decimated by Hurricane Ivan.

The project transformed from one sculpture to the world's first underwater sculpture park with 26 sculptures.

In 2009, the speaker moved to Mexico and started casting local fishermen, growing the project into a movement of people defending the sea and creating an underwater museum with over 500 living sculptures.

The speaker highlights the unique aspects of underwater gardening, scaling up designs such as 'Ocean Atlas' in the Bahamas and an underwater botanical garden in Lanzarote.

The sculptures are made from long-lasting, pH-neutral cement that provides a stable platform for coral polyps to attach and create new reefs.

The formations are configured to aggregate fish on a large scale, even incorporating features like an internal living habitat in a VW Beetle to encourage marine life.

Exhibiting work in the ocean is challenging but rewarding, providing an incredible exhibition space with unique lighting, sand effects, and inquisitive visitors.

Once submerged, the sculptures belong to the sea, evolving into new reefs and showcasing nature's imagination.

The sculptures attract diverse marine life, including sponges, staghorn coral, fireworms, tunicates, sea urchins, coralline algae, gorgonian fans, purple sponges, and grey angelfish.

The speaker emphasizes the responsibility of artists to create impactful work that raises awareness about the environment and the importance of protecting oceans.

The underwater sculpture parks have had significant positive impacts, such as creating new habitats, reducing stress on natural reefs, highlighting environmental issues, and supporting local conservation efforts.

The sculpture park in Grenada led to the designation of a marine-protected area and funding for park rangers to manage tourism and fishing quotas.

The speaker argues that we should regard our oceans as sacred and protect them, similar to how we cherish cultural landmarks and treasures.

The speaker's work in Cancun has created a precious area that contrasts with the city's reputation for spring break and tourist activities.

The speaker's installation of the 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' in the Thames River in London aims to deliver a stark message about climate change to those in power.

The speaker envisions a future where art, science, and education collaborate to create new environments and encourage ocean conservation, proposing ideas like an underwater Noah's Ark for educational purposes.

The speaker concludes by urging people to see the oceans as delicate and precious, worthy of protection, and to think creatively and deeply about how we can preserve them.

Transcripts

Ten years ago,

I had my first exhibition here.

I had no idea if it would work or was at all possible,

but with a few small steps and a very steep learning curve,

I made my first sculpture, called "The Lost Correspondent."

Teaming up with a marine biologist and a local dive center,

I submerged the work off the coast of Grenada,

in an area decimated by Hurricane Ivan.

And then this incredible thing happened.

It transformed.

One sculpture became two.

Two quickly became 26.

And before I knew it,

we had the world's first underwater sculpture park.

In 2009, I moved to Mexico and started by casting local fisherman.

This grew to a small community,

to almost an entire movement of people in defense of the sea.

And then finally, to an underwater museum,

with over 500 living sculptures.

Gardening, it seems, is not just for greenhouses.

We've since scaled up the designs:

"Ocean Atlas," in the Bahamas, rising 16 feet up to the surface

and weighing over 40 tons,

to now currently in Lanzarote,

where I'm making an underwater botanical garden,

the first of its kind in the Atlantic Ocean.

Each project, we use materials and designs that help encourage life;

a long-lasting pH-neutral cement provides a stable and permanent platform.

It is textured to allow coral polyps to attach.

We position them down current from natural reefs

so that after spawning, there's areas for them to settle.

The formations are all configured so that they aggregate fish

on a really large scale.

Even this VW Beetle has an internal living habitat

to encourage crustaceans such as lobsters and sea urchins.

So why exhibit my work in the ocean?

Because honestly, it's really not easy.

When you're in the middle of the sea under a hundred-foot crane,

trying to lower eight tons down to the sea floor,

you start to wonder whether I shouldn't have taken up watercolor painting instead.

(Laughter)

But in the end, the results always blow my mind.

(Music)

The ocean is the most incredible exhibition space

an artist could ever wish for.

You have amazing lighting effects changing by the hour,

explosions of sand covering the sculptures in a cloud of mystery,

a unique timeless quality

and the procession of inquisitive visitors,

each lending their own special touch to the site.

(Music)

But over the years,

I've realized that the greatest thing about what we do,

the really humbling thing about the work,

is that as soon as we submerge the sculptures,

they're not ours anymore,

because as soon as we sink them,

the sculptures, they belong to the sea.

As new reefs form, a new world literally starts to evolve,

a world that continuously amazes me.

It's a bit of a cliché, but nothing man-made

can ever match the imagination of nature.

Sponges look like veins across the faces.

Staghorn coral morphs the form.

Fireworms scrawl white lines as they feed.

Tunicates explode from the faces.

Sea urchins crawl across the bodies feeding at night.

Coralline algae applies a kind of purple paint.

The deepest red I've ever seen in my life lives underwater.

Gorgonian fans oscillate with the waves.

Purple sponges breathe water like air.

And grey angelfish glide silently overhead.

And the amazing response we've had to these works

tells me that we've managed to plug into something really primal,

because it seems that these images translate across the world,

and that's made me focus on my responsibility as an artist

and about what I'm trying to achieve.

I'm standing here today on this boat in the middle of the ocean,

and this couldn't be a better place

to talk about the really, really important effect of my work.

Because as we all know,

our reefs are dying, and our oceans are in trouble.

So here's the thing:

the most used, searched and shared image

of all my work thus far is this.

And I think this is for a reason,

or at least I hope it is.

What I really hope is that people are beginning to understand

that when we think of the environment and the destruction of nature,

that we need to start thinking about our oceans, too.

Since building these sites, we've seen some phenomenal

and unexpected results.

Besides creating over 800 square meters of new habitats and living reef,

visitors to the marine park in Cancun now divide half their time

between the museum and the natural reefs,

providing significant rest for natural, overstressed areas.

Visitors to "Ocean Atlas" in the Bahamas highlighted a leak

from a nearby oil refinery.

The subsequent international media forced the local government

to pledge 10 million dollars in coastal cleanups.

The sculpture park in Grenada was instrumental

in the government designating a spot -- a marine-protected area.

Entrance fees to the park now help fund park rangers

to manage tourism and fishing quotas.

The site was actually listed as a "Wonder of the World"

by National Geographic.

So why are we all here today in this room?

What do we all have in common?

I think we all share a fear

that we don't protect our oceans enough.

And one way of thinking about this

is that we don't regard our oceans as sacred,

and we should.

When we see incredible places --

like the Himalayas or the La Sagrada Família,

or the Mona Lisa, even --

when we see these incredible places and things,

we understand their importance.

We call them sacred,

and we do our best to cherish them, to protect them

and to keep them safe.

But in order to do that,

we are the ones that have to assign that value;

otherwise, it will be desecrated

by someone who doesn't understand that value.

So I want to finish up tonight by talking about sacred things.

When we were naming the site in Cancun,

we named it a museum for a very important and simple reason:

museums are places of preservation,

of conservation and of education.

They're places where we keep objects of great value to us,

where we simply treasure them for them being themselves.

If someone was to throw an egg at the Sistine Chapel,

we'd all go crazy.

If someone wanted to build a seven-star hotel

at the bottom of the Grand Canyon,

then we would laugh them out of Arizona.

Yet every day we dredge, pollute and overfish our oceans.

And I think it's easier for us to do that,

because when we see the ocean,

we don't see the havoc we're wreaking.

Because for most people,

the ocean is like this.

And it's really hard

to think of something that's just so plain and so enormous, as fragile.

It's simply too massive, too vast, too endless.

And what do you see here?

I think most people actually look past to the horizon.

So I think there's a real danger

that we never really see the sea,

and if we don't really see it,

if it doesn't have its own iconography,

if we miss its majesty,

then there's a big danger that we take it for granted.

Cancun is famous for spring break,

tequila and foam parties.

And its waters are where frat boys can ride around on Jet Skis

and banana boats.

But because of our work there, there's now a little corner of Cancun

that is simply precious for being itself.

And we don't want to stop in Grenada,

in Cancun or the Bahamas.

Just last month, I installed these Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

in the Thames River,

in central London, right in front of the Houses of Parliament,

putting a stark message about climate change

in front of the people that have the power to help change things.

Because for me, this is just the beginning of the mission.

We want to team up with other inventors,

creators, philanthropists, educators, biologists,

to see better futures for our oceans.

And we want to see beyond sculpture,

beyond art, even.

Say you're a 14-year-old kid from the city,

and you've never seen the ocean.

And instead of getting taken to the natural history museum

or an aquarium,

you get taken out to the ocean,

to an underwater Noah's Ark,

which you can access through a dry-glass viewing tunnel,

where you can see all the wildlife of the land

be colonized by the wildlife of the ocean.

Clearly, it would blow your mind.

So let's think big and let's think deep.

Who knows where our imagination and willpower can lead us?

I hope that by bringing our art into the ocean,

that not only do we take advantage of amazing creativity

and visual impact of the setting,

but that we are also giving something back,

and by encouraging new environments to thrive,

and in some way opening up a new -- or maybe it's a really old way

of seeing the seas:

as delicate, precious places,

worthy of our protection.

Our oceans are sacred.

Thank you.

(Applause)