New Museum of Underwater Art sculptures unveiled in special exhibit
News
By Katie Stow
Ultimately destined for the Great Barrier Reef, six of the Museum of Underwater Art(MOUA)’s next stage of sculptures are being launched in a display at Townsville North Queensland's Museum of Tropical Queensland before being installed in their underwater home.
The exhibit, titled Museum of Tropical Queensland presents the Museum of Underwater Art’s Ocean Sentinels above the surface, provides a unique opportunity for locals and visitors to experience the artworks on land before they're submerged later this year and eventually transform into their own micro-reefs.
Eight influential scientists and community members have been immortalised by leading underwater sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor and will be on show at the Museum until they're installed in their final location on the reef, which is still yet to be decided.
What has been confirmed, however, is that the pieces will be placed in shallow depths, broadening the accessiblity of the MOUA experience by allowing snorkellers as well as divers to get up close to the sculptures.
Artist Jason de Caires Taylor with one of the new sculptures
World-renowned artist Jason deCaires Taylor designed and created the hybrid-form sculptures that pay tribute to people who have been influential in our understanding of reef protection.
“I hope that in years to come a variety of endemic species such as corals, sponges and hydroids will change the sculptures’ appearance in vibrant and unpredictable ways,” Mr deCaires Taylor said.
“Like the Great Barrier Reef itself, they will become a living and evolving part of the ecosystem, emphasising both its fragility and its endurance,” he said.
MOUA's new sculptures being transported ready for display
“This unique exhibit allows the public to enjoy and experience the next stage of the Museum of Underwater Art and learn about the important work we’ve been doing with coral planting, reef health surveys, providing education and work opportunities for Indigenous guides, and more,” said MOUA Board Director Paul Victory.
Queensland Museum Network CEO Dr Jim Thompson said it’s been a wonderful collaboration between Museum of Tropical Queensland and the Museum of Underwater Art to produce this unique display for visitors.
“These sculptures are destined for the ocean, so for people to see them in the museum and learn about them before they are installed underwater is something really special."
The Museum is making the exhibit as immersive as possible with a ‘Meet the Muse’ series where people can meet the scientists the sculptures are based on, or attend a virtual webinar series from anywhere across the globe.
The Museum of Underwater Art also owns the ‘Ocean Siren’ along The Strand, and the ‘Coral Greenhouse’ at John Brewer Reef, with further sites in the region planned for the future.
Feature image: Coral Greenhouse at John Brewer Reef | Mark Fitz Photography
