Statue of Christ underwater. Statue of Christ from the sea abyss. "Christ from the Abyss", Mediterranean Sea, Italy

Cactus

The project started with two sculptural compositions: The Raft of Lampedusa and The Rubicon. The first is dedicated to migrants and refugees who died in different years at Italian island Lampedusa in the Mediterranean. The second - a group of people walking together in an unknown direction, shows the point of no return, to which modern society has reached. Other sculptures are also not without meaning and suggestive.

Boat of Lampedusa

Rubicon

The sculptures are installed at a depth of 15 meters and will be available for divers and snorkelers. Part of the exposition can still be seen on land. The underwater museum, called "Antlantico", is located off the coast Spanish island Lanzarote ( Canary Islands) and will open on February 25. But it will be fully completed by the end of 2016.

Anthropocene

Banker

Inertia

Photographers

re-education

resurrection

The inhabitants of the island reacted to the opening of the museum in different ways. Some consider spending on a museum unreasonable. Others - that the idea of ​​​​underwater sculptures will attract tourists to the island, and the project itself seems pretty to them. Many doubt the environmental friendliness of concrete statues at the bottom of the ocean.

man on fire

self-immolation

silent evolution

Taylor himself says that the sculptures not only do not harm the ecosystem, but also support the life of sea creatures. According to his idea, underwater statues should be enjoyed sea ​​plants and animals and promote the reproduction of organisms. Two percent of the profit that the museum will receive, the author of the project promised to give to scientific research.

Anchors

Collector of desires

Gardener

shimmering woman

Listener

The working process

It's not about tourists or diving. Rather, I even wanted to distract divers from coral reefs and switch their attention to artificial objects underwater. Each sculpture has its own idea, and their common goal is to show that we must minimize the human impact on the fragile underwater world.

These statues are under water - they are illuminated by the sun's rays, algae are braided, corals are attached to them, and inhabitants swim around sea ​​depths, tourists-divers who come to look at the amazing monuments of art from all over the world. And there are really a lot of them.

If earlier the statues were under water as a result of some kind of cataclysm (mainly a shipwreck or flood), then in Lately they began to be installed at the bottom of the ocean specifically so that vacationers have the opportunity to observe not only the beauties underwater world but also admire unique monuments, appearance which is significantly different from the usual analogues on land.

The world's first underwater statue park, with an area of ​​800 square meters. m., was opened in 2010 at the bottom caribbean near the island of Grenada. Then there were 68 statues in it, and now there are about 400 (at the same time, the author of the project, Jason Taylor, is not going to stop there, and soon much more monuments will be installed here).

How underwater sculptures are made

To make and install the first 68 sculptures, it took a lot of time (about 18 months), money (more than 250 thousand dollars) and gigantic efforts. Jason Taylor creates statues not under water, but on land - and he does not work on his own, but in a team: masters from different corners our planet.

Unique works of art are made on special platforms (so that they can then be conveniently immersed in water), using steel wire, gravel, sand, environmentally friendly concrete, fiberglass, silicone.

What does the underwater sculpture park look like?

Each sculpture of this amazing underwater world is unique and tells the audience its own story. So that the plot does not get confused, the compositions are located at some distance from each other and are:

• People who stand with their backs to each other and hold hands at the same time;
• Praying figures;
• Children playing with animals;
• Here you can watch the real crowd, in which people talk to each other, laugh, quarrel and make peace;
• There are many sculptures that can make you think about both the world problems of mankind and the meaning of life.

Created by Jason Taylor and his team, the statues are set on the ocean floor at a relatively shallow depth (from 3 to 9 meters). This was done so that not only divers could admire them, but also people who wanted to look at unique park without going down to the bottom of the ocean, from boats.

Importance of this project

Unique underwater park valuable not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also designed to restore the wildlife ecosystem at the bottom of the ocean: underwater sculptures are also artificial reefs, to which filtrate mollusks are attached, contributing to the growth of biomass: recently, the number marine life decreased significantly in this region.

This was due to a devastating hurricane that had swept past in this area, and because of the huge influx of vacationers who, while engaged in water sports sports, negatively affect the life of marine life. Inexperienced divers often harm the marine fauna by touching it with fins or underwater balloons, in addition, many tourists break off pieces of coral they like “as a keepsake”.

The largest underwater sculpture in the world

Jason Taylor did not stop at this project - and at the end of 2014 the world saw another of his works, which is currently the largest underwater sculpture in the world.

called giant statue"Ocean Atlant" and represents a girl sitting on a stone, bowing her head to a bent knee and turning her face to the left side: she holds the waters of the ocean on her fragile shoulders.

The height of the giant sculpture is about 5.5 m, and it weighs 60 tons. A monument was erected at the bottom of the ocean near the Bahamas, and is the first statue of the future underwater park sculptures, the main task of which, like the museum near Grenada, is to divert the attention of ubiquitous divers from coral reefs, which have recently suffered greatly from the invasion of tourists.

Statues of Jesus Christ underwater

With the light hand of Jason Taylor, both accommodation and visiting statues under water have become increasingly in demand in the world. In fact, the history of underwater sculptures began long before the appearance of a unique park.

First of all, this applies to the statues of Jesus Christ (maybe they gave the sculptor this great idea), which were installed under water in the middle of the last century.

Christ from the Abyss (Italy, Bay of San Fruttuoso, 1954)

The sculpture of the Savior, whose whole appearance is directed upwards, to heaven, was made of bronze by the sculptor Guido Galetti. The monument, whose height was 2.5 m, was dedicated by the authors to the first Italian scuba diver Dario Gonzatti, who died in these waters in the late forties.

The sculpture was installed at a depth of seventeen meters and is the oldest underwater statue of Jesus Christ in the world.

Tourists come from all over to see it. the globe: despite the enormous depth at which the monument is located, thanks to clean clear waters it can be easily seen not only being directly next to it, but also being upstairs, sitting in the most ordinary boat.

A few years ago, the sculpture was restored, for which it had to be taken out of the water - it was necessary to attach the fallen arm to its place, clean it from algae, and also replace the old pedestal with a new one.

Statue of Jesus Christ in Malta (1990)

Another giant statue of Christ under water, outwardly very similar to the monument from San Franttuoso, is located near Malta. It was made in honor of the visit to the island of John Paul II, and the creation of a giant (at that time) three-meter sculpture cost the initiators of the project 1,000 Maltese liras (the work was paid for by the local diving committee). It was made of concrete, so it turned out to be quite heavy: its weight is about 13 tons.

Initially, the statue was installed at a depth of about 38 m, the sculpture did not stand there for long. A few years later, for various reasons, visibility under water deteriorated significantly, and the monument became difficult to see. Therefore, it was decided to move it closer to the shore, and the statue was at a depth of 10 m.

Statue of Jesus Christ in Florida (1965)

Another statue of Jesus Christ, installed at the bottom of the ocean off the coast of Key Largo, is very popular. It attracts tourists primarily because it is located at a relatively shallow depth (about eight meters), so even a novice diver can swim to it. By itself, this area is extremely picturesque - around it you can see a huge number of corals, colorful fish and other inhabitants of coastal waters.

• Address: Malta, St Paul's Bay
• Weight: 13 tons
• Height: 3m
• Date of creation: 1990
• Sculptor: Alfred Camilleri Kushi

Christianity appeared in Malta as early as the 1st century AD - according to legend, it was spread here by the apostle Paul himself, who was sent to the court to Caesar, but as a result of a storm that broke out, the ship was carried on a stormy sea for 2 weeks, and he finally landed on the island, which then it was called Melit, and today it is called, or St. Paul's Islands (the name is used in the plural, since in fact these are two small islands connected by a narrow isthmus). Since then, Christianity has firmly taken root on the island.

Today on the island you can see more quantity associated with religion, but one of them occupies a special place - this is the statue of Christ the Savior, located under water off the coast of Malta, or rather, not far from the coast of St. Paul's island. The statue is made of concrete, its weight is 13 tons, and its height is 3 meters. On Maltese she is called Kristu L-Bahhar.

Work on the installation of a statue of Jesus Christ under water in Malta was timed to coincide with the first visit to the state by John Paul II in 1990. The famous Maltese sculptor Alfred Camilleri Cushi became the author of the statue, and the committee of Maltese divers headed by its chairman, Raniero Borg, became the customer. The cost of the work amounted to one thousand Maltese liras.

Statue of Christ under water attracts to Malta a large number of lovers and it is to them that it owes its current location: previously it was located at a depth of 38 meters, but since there was a fish farm nearby, the water quality deteriorated significantly, which made visibility worse, and the statue could not be properly examined. Therefore, in 2000 it was moved, and today Christ is under water "only" at a depth of 10 meters near.

The statue of Christ under water was moved in May 2000; a crane was used to lift it from the bottom. Next to it is the flooded ferry Malta Gozo Ferry, which operated a message between Malta and.

Jesus Christ under water "looks" towards St. Paul's; from the depths, he stretches his arms upward and, according to believers, is the "personal protector" of sailors, fishermen and divers.

By the way, this is not the only statue of Jesus Christ under water - there are similar ones in several other places. The most famous is the "Christ of their abyss" in the bay of San Fruttuoso near Genoa; one copy of it is installed about underwater reef Dry Rocks off the Californian coast, and another was first under water off the coast of Grenada's capital, St. George, but was later removed from the water and installed on the capital's waterfront.

You can see the statue only with scuba gear and accompanied by an experienced instructor. To do this, contact one of the diving clubs near Mediterraneo Marine Park. You can get to the park by

You don't always get the chance to take a one-of-a-kind selfie! After all, it's not every day that we get to face a mermaid off the coast of Grand Cayman or Christ of the Abyss off Key Largo, Florida, USA.

And although some of the following are just props, and the origin of others remains unknown, all these underwater attractions have one thing in common: the great idea of ​​\u200b\u200bconserving the ocean.

From sunken statues of saints to Greek gods, this list contains the most amazing underwater sculptures!

1. Amphitrite statue near Grand Cayman

Justin Lewis/Getty Images
The 272-kilogram mermaid statue is located 50 meters from the shore of the southwestern point of the island. It can be found at a depth of 15 meters within easy reach of both divers and snorkelers.

2. Statue of the Guardian of the Reef near Grand Cayman


Chris Parsons/Nauticam
It is believed that if you kiss the Guardian of the Reef, it will bring good luck. At least that's what Nancy Easterbrook, who submerged this merman underwater in front of her Divetech scuba diving agency in Grand Cayman, says.

Easterbrook also says that this statue was created by the same sculptor who made the statue of Amphitrite. "They're like brother and sister," she says. "I imagine them communicating underwater with each other, like dolphins."

3. MUSA or Underwater Museum of Art in Cancun, Mexico


Jason de Caires Taylor/Barcroft Media/Getty
"It's euphoric when sunlight ignites all the colors of the sponge that grows on the statues,” says Jason de Caires Taylor, author of the 500 life-sized sculptures that can be seen in this installation near Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nisuk ( Punta Nizuc, Mexico.

Here much more people than one would expect to see underwater.

Jason deCaires Taylor
For full impression Taylor encourages viewers to learn to scuba dive. He says: "You want to take a step back to see the whole installation. The best thing about diving is that you are in a 3D world. You are not subject to gravity and are not forced to view everything at eye level, as you would in a gallery" .

4. "Ocean Atlas" (Ocean Atlas) near New Providence, Bahamas


jasondecairestaylor.com
The largest in the world underwater statue called "Ocean Atlant" is another creation owned by Jason de Caires Taylor. This 60-ton sculpture, which symbolizes the great need for ocean conservation, is right in the place of the immediate need for transformation.

“There is an oil refinery in this area that pollutes the coral reefs,” says the sculptor. “Tourists come here and see oil slicks, so I thought it was a brilliant idea to put some pressure on the refinery in this way.”

5. Christ of the Abyss Italian Riviera, Portofino


Julie Gautier
Where the first Italian diver, Dario Gonzatti, died in a dive in 1947, now stands this 2.5-meter bronze statue of the Savior, created by the Italian sculptor Guido Galletti.

The statue, set at a depth of 10 meters, is popular with freedivers and scuba divers who want to pay tribute to all those who took their last breath at sea.

6. "Christ of the Abyss" (Christ of the Abyss) at Key Largo (Key Largo), Florida


Getty Images / Aurora Creative
There are two more copies of the original Galletti statue: one is installed off the coast of the capital of Grenada in memory of the Italian crew who died in the tragic shipwreck of the passenger ship M.V. Bianca in 1961

The second is in national park "coral reef John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park at a depth of 8 meters at Key Largo. The GPS coordinates of this statue are widely known, which makes it one of the most visited attractions on the planet - any diver you know can confirm this.

7. Underwater grotto, about. Bohol, Philippines


Martin Zapanta
What started as an initiative to curb illegal fishing practices (like the use of dynamite and cyanide) has become an underwater pilgrimage destination.

In 2010 in marine park"Double Barrier Reef" in Bien Unido (Bien Unido) near the island of Bohol was submerged under water 4-meter statue of the Virgin Mary and young Jesus.

8. Yonaguni off Ryukyu Island, Japan


Shawn Miller
Still remains

Continuing the search interesting events, which are actively discussed on the Internet, we found unusual photographs of the work of the sculptor Jason Taylor. His works are unique not by their creation, but primarily by their location. Back in 2006, Jason opened the first exhibition of an underwater sculpture park, placing his creations in the depths of the Caribbean Sea. And in 2010, not far from the resort in Mexico - Cancun, he created the world's largest underwater park - a museum of sculptures. Despite the fact that the news is two years old, Jason Taylor's work continues to be actively discussed. In this article, we tried to select the most memorable photographs of underwater sculptures in order to convey all the beauty and grandeur, and to recall how it was.

By placing his sculptures at the bottom of the sea, Jason was able to attract many drivers and ordinary tourists to the shores of the Caribbean.

In his work, the author tried to combine contemporary art with the beauty and grandeur of the underwater world.
Sculptures were created from special concrete with many holes and steel wire. Thus, stone sculptures become with time natural environment habitats for marine inhabitants, and their surface is covered with corals and shells, which has a beneficial effect on the ecological environment of the underwater world.

The sculpture "Archive of Unfulfilled Hopes" - symbolizes the collection of all the events taking place in the world. Dozens of bottles of notes from people from all over the world are placed on concrete shelves. It is assumed that the collection of notes and messages will be replenished.

The sculpture "Man on Fire" contains 75 different holes, from which bright multi-colored corals grow, symbolizing blood.

The sculpture "Gardener of Hope" depicts a young girl in the garden.

On the one hand, the works reflect the ecological processes of the marine aquatic environment, on the other hand, they illustrate the complex relationship between contemporary art and the surrounding underwater flora and fauna. The author makes it clear that nothing lasts forever in this world. The sculptures will eventually collapse and coral reefs will appear in their place.

"Silent Evolution" is a composition of 400 life-sized sculptures of people.
Water significantly distorts perception, and therefore the figures of the statues seem to be twenty-five percent larger and closer than they actually are. The sculpture park is located in shallow water, the depth does not exceed 10 m, and therefore you can admire the artist’s works even from a glass bottom boat or diving with a scuba or a regular mask and snorkel.
In total, more than 400 sculptures have already been installed here.

Models for underwater sculptures are ordinary locals Grenada.

Portraits of people, in the likeness of which the statues were made.

Sculpture making process.

Sculpture "Quiet Evolution" on the shore before diving.

Lowering figures to the bottom.