#uwphotography

Using the ocean as an exhibition space, British artist Jason de-Caires Taylor has created an underwater museum off the coast of Lanzarote, comprising life-size concrete figures depicting everything from the horrors of the refugee crisis to selfie-taking tourists, sculpture that will transform over time into a thriving marine ecosystem.

Life-sized casts are situated 14 metres below the surface of the water. This is a permanent installation, accessible to divers and snorkellers and tourists in glass-bottomed boats.

The Raft of Lampedusa depicts 13 refugees on a raft, drifting towards an uncertain future. It draws its inspiration from Théodore Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa, which represents the vain hope of shipwrecked sailors. Despite being able to see the rescue vessel on the horizon, they are abandoned to their fate – much as refugees are today.