In 2021, British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor submerged six giant faces off Cannes; the degraded seabed became a free museum later linked to Posidonia seagrass restoration.

In 2021, six enormous faces appeared beneath the Mediterranean off Cannes, France, where visitors could swim over an underwater museum instead of walking through galleries. Created by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, the two-metre-tall sculptures were lowered into the sea near Île Sainte-Marguerite, transforming an environmentally degraded patch of seabed into an unusual meeting point between art and marine conservation. The project was designed not only to give Cannes a new cultural attraction, but also to encourage marine life to return to the area.

Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!