Underwater park to open a portal to another world in Protaras

An underwater museum is set to boost the island’s profile when it opens in July, but exactly what it will look like is being kept under wraps

An underwater museum, fitted with 70 sculptures by a renowned British artist, is set to adorn the seafloor at Pernera beach by late July – but its final form is being kept secret.

At a depth of about ten metres, the otherworldly works of Jason deCaires Taylor, who created the world’s first submerged sculpture park, will put Cyprus on the map as one of the few locations worldwide which he says offer a “portal to another world”.

In his own words, Taylor has described the ocean as: “The most incredible exhibition space an artist could ever wish for – you have amazing lighting effects changing by the hour [and] explosions of sand covering the sculptures in a cloud of mystery.”

As to the style, form and theme of the sculptures, Ayia Napa mayor Christos Zanettou remained tight lipped but told the Sunday Mail that the ocean is one of Cyprus’ most valuable assets – saying that: “Ocean life is a unique point of interest that is not available to many countries.”

The possibilities for Taylor’s maritime canvas in Cyprus are tantalising, as seen through his previous works.

Taylor has highlighted the delicate balance between humans and nature – brilliantly depicted in his Ocean Atlas project in the Bahamas.

In it, a five-metre statue of a young girl – weighing over sixty tonnes – touches the surface of the ocean and is seen holding up the weight of the world; portraying the “burden we are currently asking future generations to carry”.

Having previously invoked Greek mythology, Cyprus’ rich history offers a deep well of inspiration.

For Colin Hopkinson, who runs Olympian Divers in Ayia Napa and has met with the artist’s team, the sculpture park is an innovative step forward.

“I think it’s going to be an awesome project for the area, it’s new, it’s something fresh and will certainly attract the interest of the diving community,” he told the Sunday Mail.

“I’m certainly looking forward to diving it once it’s open; I’m excited to see how it all comes to fruition – it’s thinking outside of the box.”

And at a depth of ten metres, it is highly likely that the museum will be accessible to both beginner divers and your average day tripper to the beach.

Dena Asimenou, of Sunfish Divers in Ayia Napa, said that: “[It] is likely to be a family friendly activity which will greatly enhance what’s on offer, especially in Ayia Napa.”

And so, while the sculpture park will likely be in keeping with the spirit of a museum – generally accessible to everyone – it maintains the spirit of Taylor’s work: humans venturing forth into the realm of nature.

His sculptures, ranging from Mexico, France, Lanzarote, the Maldives and Australia, always start with a plaster cast, usually of local people. In previous works, local fishermen have featured among the statue installations.

And what keeps the sculptures fresh is the method in which they are made, uniquely adapted to complement their surroundings.

“The sculptures are constructed using inert, pH neutral materials – designed to attract marine life, [while] surface textures provide substrate for juvenile coral polyps to attach,” Taylor has explained.

For Asimenou, the living and breathing quality of the sculptures is crucial.

“It’s important for us as to how the site is maintained, if the sculptures are responsibly visited and are allowed to attract life then that’s a huge bonus, so that each time a person goes it will be slightly different – it will always be exciting,” she said.

And that’s another key question which remains to be answered: just how will the site operate?

Asimenou hopes that it will be maintained in an orderly fashion, so as to allow the sculpture park room to grow – but that raises the issue of entrance fees and how access to the site will be regulated, if at all.

She pointed out that the Zenobia shipwreck, which lies at a depth of 40m, requires an advanced diving licence.

The Zenobia shipwreck, which consistently ranks among the top such diving sites worldwide, attracts visitors to Cyprus solely for that purpose.

As to whether or not the Ayia Napa underwater museum can achieve that level of success, Asimenou says we will have to wait and see.

“This will certainly boost our profile, but I’m not sure if it will be as many people say – that people will come to Cyprus just for this,” she said.

“Although having seen Taylor’s previous works in Mexico, it’s certainly possible; it depends how it works out.”

She offered that as most of the locations across Cyprus are within a close distance to each other, and as such, having the Zenobia shipwreck and the underwater museum within an hour’s drive from each other; international divers could well choose the island over other top destinations.

For Hopkinson, the underwater museum could be just the beginning of a wider effort to promote Cyprus as an even greater diving destination.

“This museum will be an added string to the bow… I hope this is the start of a greater movement for artificial reefs and perhaps some wrecks that are more accessible to beginner students,” he told the Sunday Mail.

“Around the world, in places such as Bahrain and Dubai, they have big passenger jets that have been sunk underwater for people to dive – there are place where they have sunk tanks – and I think the tourism board could recognise that diving could greatly benefit the economy,” he said.

And while Cyprus has yet to submerge tanks or aircraft, Taylor’s sculptures include such objects – most notably a classic VW Beetle.

Eagerly awaiting the July opening, I’m left thinking of the living and breathing sculptures – and Taylor’s words: “It’s a bit of a cliche, but nothing manmade can ever match the imagination of nature.”