The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/925836
M useo Atlántico was Taylor's first and only project within the Atlantic Ocean and was fully funded by CACT — Lanzarote's Center for Art, Culture and Tourism, originally created by César Manrique, as well as the Government of the Canary Islands. e museum is 12 meters deep (roughly 40 feet) and spans approximately 27,000 square feet, accessible only to divers and snorkelers. e installation itself consists of over 300 life-size human figures ensconced within a 100-foot wall which acts as the museums entryway. Taylor uses a non-toxic, pH-neutral marine-grade cement to create his sculptures which will gradually generate more plant and animal life—just as a reef does. e cement that Taylor uses is highly durable and creates a rough texture so that crustaceans can use the sculptures as a home and fish can use them as breeding areas and protective spaces. He also takes into account where the museum is actually placed within the ocean. He oentimes looks for barren sandbanks that will help boost the diversity within the water and also draws divers and tourists away from existing coral reefs that may be at risk. Over time, the appearance of Taylor's figures will become altered as coral spreads and marine life eventually takes over. e sculptures on display at Museo Atlántico might look like a part of some lost civilization or archaeological discovery, but they're there to convey a very important message—a kind of social commentary. We are all part of the same living, breathing ecosystem. Our ocean, our air, our climate and us. We are one. Sequentially, "Crossing the Rubicon" is the museums fih installation. As you approach the gateway, a band of 35 figures are also walking towards the same wall, which stands 100 feet long and 13 feet high. It is meant to emphasize the meaninglessness of mankind's territories and boundaries in the natural world. ere are points of entry over, under and through. Crossing the Rubicon is an idiom meaning you've passed a point of no return. Taylor wants us to act now before it's too late. " C R O S S I N G T H E R U B I C O N " VUE ON ART V U E N J . C O M 89