The project has two goals, one artistic and the other conservationist. The sculptures are made of pH neutral cement to create an artificial reef which, over time, will help the marine biomass flourish. The project was promoted by Lanzarote authorities and co-financed by the government of the Canary Islands. The regional tourism chief, Mariate Lorenzo, said at the opening that the museum has become one of the tourism projects with the greatest international media impact in the entire Canary Islands.This is not the first such project by the British artist. In 2006 he created an underwater sculpture park in Grenada, in the Antilles, and in 2009 he opened MUSA (Museo Subacuático de Arte), submerging 500 sculptures off the coast of Cancún (Mexico). Pictured, a school of fish swimming among sculptures that are already covered with marine life.There are two options for visitors to the museum: snorkeling or scuba diving, which requires authorization to dive to depths of 12 meters. Details about associated diving companies are available at www.cactlanzarote.com/centros-eoma/. In both cases, visits are guided.'The Raft of Lampedusa' alludes to the tragedy of immigration by sea.The work titled The Portal depicts a hybrid creature that stares into a large mirror reflecting the ocean’s surface. The mirror covers a series of structures designed to become a habitat for octopus, sea urchins and young fish.Human Gyre was the last piece to undergo installation at the museum. It is a collection of 200 life-size figures set out in a giant circle.The scuptures depicting photographers raise a debate about the use of new technologies and invasion of privacy.The installation Deregulated is made up of a series of sculptures depicting grown men in suits playing in a children’s playground.Some of the models used for the sculptures at the Museo Atlántico are local residents of Lanzarote.The Immortal Pyre, another one of the artist’s submerged work off the Spanish island of Lanzarote.
