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Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park

Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park is a collection of ecological underwater contemporary art located in the Caribbean Sea off the west coast of Grenada, West Indies. Created by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, it opened for public viewing in May 2006 as the world’s first underwater sculpture park. Taylor designed the works to engage local people with the underwater environment around them, using life casts of members of the local community. The installation consists of concrete figures placed on the ocean floor, including solitary human forms and a ring of children holding hands, all facing into the oceanic currents.

The Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park’s ring of human-like figures standing hand in hand on the seabed.
Vicissitudes, the ring of figures in Grenada’s Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, seen beneath the water.
November 2007 © · CC BY 2.0
The Lost Correspondent underwater sculpture at Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, showing a seated figure at a desk with a typewriter on the seabed.
The Lost Correspondent sits on the sandy seabed in Grenada’s Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park.
November 2007 © · CC BY 2.0
Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park with human-like sculptures arranged in a circle on the seabed
Human-like sculptures form a circular arrangement on the seabed at Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park.
December 2015 © Boris Kasimov · CC BY 2.0
Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park figure sculpture kneeling on a base underwater.
A dark kneeling figure sculpture in the Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, resting on the seabed.
December 2015 © · CC BY 2.0
The Fall From Grace sculpture in Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, covered in marine growth beside a bicycle wheel and frame.
The Fall From Grace sculpture rests on the seabed in Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, surrounded by marine life.
November 2007 © · CC BY 2.0

Identification

TitleMolinere Underwater Sculpture Park
VicissitudesVicissitudes
The Lost CorrespondentThe Lost Correspondent
Original-language nameParque de Esculturas Subaquáticas Molinere
The Unstill LifeThe Unstill Life
Grace ReefGrace Reef
Tam CC ProjectTam CC Project
The Fall From GraceThe Fall From Grace
Typeunderwater sculpture park

Historical context

Historical contextCreated after Hurricane Ivan (2004) destroyed many of Grenada's coral reefs; Hurricane Emily (2005) also contributed to reef damage

Creator

Creator occupationsculptor and environmentalist
CreatorJason deCaires Taylor
Creator nationalityBritish

Discovery and provenance

Construction began2006
Added worksIn 2010, a local artist added new works to the park
RestorationThe park underwent restoration in 2021, including repairs, cleaning, removal of some sculptures, and relocation of others
Public openingMay 2006
Installation authorizationAuthorized by Grenada's Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries

Significance

Historical significanceThe world's first underwater sculpture park
RecognitionConsidered one of National Geographic's 25 Wonders of the World

Purpose

PurposeTo help recover marine fauna and flora, promote coral growth, create a sanctuary for small marine life, and reduce tourist and diver pressure on natural reefs

Physical characteristics

Water depthvaried depths, up to 12 meters
VisitorsVisited daily by scuba divers, snorkelers, and glass-bottom boats
AccessibilityAccessible by boat from St. George's or Grand Anse Bay
Weightaround 15 tonnes in dry cement
Number of sculpturesover 65
Area coveredover 800 square meters
LocationMolinere Bay, Grenada, in the Molinere Beauséjour Marine Reserve, off the Caribbean coast of Grenada in the West Indies
PlacementInstalled on the ocean floor in sandy, barren Molinere Bay

Materials

MaterialsConcrete, steel, and pH-neutral, long-lasting cement

Technique

TechniqueMade as life casts on the surface, washed to remove chemical residue, transported on lifting platforms, submerged, and bolted to the seabed
Surface treatmentTextured surfaces designed to be stable and permanent and to promote coral attachment
Installation timingPlaced in the ocean at the correct time of year to coincide with coral spawning

Appearance

RepresentationLife-size
StructureCircular arrangements
OrientationFigures face into the ocean currents
Depicted formsMostly human figures, including solitary figures and groups

Iconography and meaning

Social messageHighlights the importance of creating a sustainable, well-managed environment for future generations
ThemesGrowth, chance, natural transformation, and the impact of time and environment on the body
SymbolismUnity, resilience, and life's ongoing cycle
Interpretive focusA unique space that highlights environmental processes and the relationship between art and its environment
Source of figuresLife casts of local community members
Public debateSome have interpreted the park as a dedication to enslaved Africans lost in the Middle Passage, but the artist says this was never his intention
Historical referenceThe Middle Passage from West Africa to the Americas

Location and ownership

Installation site authorizationThe park site was authorized in an area that had suffered substantial storm damage
Nearby attraction noteFlamingo Bay is the most visited snorkeling destination on the island
Nearby water sports areaFlamingo Bay

History and restoration

VicissitudesInstalled in 2007 at 14 feet depth; a life-size ring of 26 children holding hands and facing outward into the current, made in six months and weighing 15 tonnes in dry cement; designed to withstand strong currents and tidal motion; Taylor's most recognized work in the park; symbolizes children's adaptability and the concept of life's ongoing cycle; also highlights environmental sustainability for future generations
The Fall From GraceInstalled in 2007 at 21 feet depth; depicts a life-size male figure riding a bicycle; after 8 months in the ocean, aquatic life was already inhabiting it
The Lost CorrespondentInstalled in 2006 at 22 feet depth; depicts a lone concrete figure at a desk over a typewriter with newspapers from the 1970s on the desk, some of political significance from Cuba before the revolution; interpreted as a modern-day Vesuvius disaster
Grace ReefInstalled in 2006 at 12 feet depth in hurricane-damaged Molinere Bay; consists of 16 concrete statues cast from a local Grenadian woman, lying on the sea floor; after 14 months the figures had begun to distort due to marine life
The Unstill LifeInstalled in 2006 at 25 feet depth; depicts a classical still life with a table, vase, and fruit bowl in simple modern-day forms; its appearance has continually changed through natural processes
Related comparisonComparable to artificial reef constructions by Reef Ball
Change over timeSome sculptures had begun to distort or become inhabited by marine life within months to 14 months
Expected long-term changeCoral and tides will gradually alter the sculptures' appearance and bring new marine inhabitants
Observed marine lifeFlounder, parrot fish, branded coral shrimp, and fire worms
Future reef loss predictionUp to 60% of natural coral reefs may be depleted by 2050
Coral growth timeframeHard coral can take 10 to 80 years to develop
Seabed conditionsOnly 10–15% of the seabed has a substratum solid enough for natural reefs to grow on
Environmental issues addressedReef damage from storms and human pressures including pollution, acidification, and overfishing
Tam CC ProjectInstalled in 2007 at 6 feet depth; consists of 18 concrete heads fixed to a rock face in shallow water, cast from students' faces at T. A. Marryshow Community College in Grenada