Wearing Flippers to a Museum

Whoever heard of wearing flippers to a museum?

Nancy and I did just that recently when we visited The Silent Evolution, a marine “museum” in the turquoise waters off of Isla Mujeres. Created by sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, a British-Guyanese scuba diving instructor, this recent marine installation of life-size human sculptures is an eerie presence next to Manchones Reef, a swatch of ancient coral near Isla Mujeres (where Nancy and I spend several weeks each winter).

The 400 sculptures will become an artificial reef where coral and fish can thrive, relieving some of the tourist pressures on natural reefs in Cancun Marine Park, which draws over 750,000 visitors a year.

The Silent Evolution is a place where human intervention can renew and sustain nature in an aesthetically pleasing way. No rusty sunken barge containing toxic substances. This artificial reef is intentional and beautiful, the statues made from materials that will promote coral life.

As we snorkeled over the 420-square-meter installation, the silence and the human forms reminded me of the incredible archeological find at Xian, China, with hundreds of terracotta soldiers in formation, everyone a distinct individual. But here the Mexicans who were used for casting were ordinary people, not soldiers. They include a butcher, farmer, clerk, nun, nursing mother, children—just regular folks who could be milling around a town square that happens to be 30 feet underwater.

Although installation of “The Silent Evolution” was completed only this past November, fish are already swimming about, sea stars are finding anchors, and vegetation is sprouting from a cheek here and a hand there. Mexican marine and art agencies are finding a new way to promote life, to regenerate nature, and to bring pleasure to others.

For more information, check out the website The Silent Evolution. This museum is a must see, and one that will impress even kids.

Becky

[Note: Photographs used with permission of Jason deCaires Taylor. Check the above website for more pictures.