When you think Maldives, you think honeymoon destination, replete with the most gorgeous of nature’s beaches, corals, and marine life. Now it’s also home to the world’s first semi-submerged art gallery, located around the pristine atoll where Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi sits.
Created over a period of nine months by acclaimed underwater naturalist/eco-artist Jason deCaires Taylor, the Coralarium is a tidal gallery space that displays submerged, semi-submerged, and exposed sculptural artworks. It’s also his first coral regeneration art installation in the Maldives — built to bring global attention to the fragility of ocean life — and acts as an artificial reef, with its materials, textures, and configuration conceptualized in a way to allow the local ecosystem to take over and thrive.
Non-toxic and PH-neutral marine-grade compounds free of harmful pollutants are used in the creation of these artificial reefs, in the hopes that the artwork will become a sanctuary for fish, crustaceans, and other marine creatures over time.
Described by the artist as a place of “preservation, conservation, and education”, the Coralarium is nestled exactly in line with the horizon, sort of like a linear extension of the resort from its 200m-long infinity pool. To get there, follow the underwater pathway — where you can participate in the propagation of corals — and take a short swim or snorkel to the gallery.
With three varieties of works, the installation’s highlight is its stainless steel — so chosen for its ability to reflect the hues of its surroundings and blend in with nature — cube structure sitting at a depth of three meters in the lagoon, rising up six meters from the seafloor. Here, you’ll find rooftop sculptures, underwater pieces at differing heights to point out tidal movements, and semi-submerged architectural structures.
The exhibition itself features ten “hybrid organic forms” created by molding casts on the bodies of Maldivians and other internationals, as well as a selection of terrestrial species in the shape of shells and leaf formations, surrounded by diverse marine life.
You’d have to stay at Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi, the 120-villa resort whose name means “Secret Water Island” in the local Divehi language, to access the Coralarium, and guided tours are led by resident marine biologists a couple times a day.
To hear more from the artist, watch the video below.
