We continue our series of blogs from the Aquanauts Grenada team, this time focusing on the globally renowned Underwater Sculpture Park.
In 2006, the world-famous British sculptor, Jason deCaires Taylor, was driven by passion to create the world's first Underwater Sculpture Park in Grenada. It was here that he laid the foundation for what would later become numerous underwater installations around the globe.
Jason once said, “A large part of my work is trying to make people love the ocean. And I think that all of us, or almost all of us, share a fear that we are not doing enough to protect our oceans.”
Jason's commitment to protecting our oceans is evident in his work where he places earthly features to embrace the elements of the sea, creating an impact for everyone to see around the world.
In October of 2023, he will deploy the latest works entitled Coral Carnival. The pieces are presently on land in Grenada and set to join his other original works underwater in the Molinere Beauséjour Marine Protected Area.
Each of the new 29 pieces represents a character from Grenada’s annual carnival, Spice Mas. Five of the new pieces were made by a local Grenadian artist, Troy Lewis, and the remaining 24 were made by Jason and his team. All sculptures were made with marine-safe cement and each character is cast from a Grenadian.
Carnival is a celebration of the end of slavery and the affirmation of survival. The carnival in Grenada is unique in its characters and each of these sculptures celebrates the main tenets of carnival and the people of Grenada.
The contrast of the original pieces with his latest work creates not only a passageway to the development of his work, but also holds true to his original vision of embracing the culture and people of Grenada. The exhibit will be open to the public by the end of October.
