EU Green Capital Valencia will host 2024 edition of European Urban Resilience Forum
Crucial aspects of resilience, sustainable development and recovery will be under the thematic spotlight
It comes with a mission: to restore underwater biodiversity
The long-awaited underwater eco-museum in the French Mediterranean is already a fact. Six statues by world-famous artist Jason deCaires Taylor were submerged underwater near the island of Sain Marguerite in Cannes this week. Much more than a tourist attraction for divers, the artwork is meant to play an important role in preserving and restoring biodiversity in the area as man-made reefs.
Initially set to open in 2020, the new eco museum was installed earlier this week between the Lérins Islands, off the coast of the French city of Cannes. Six art pieces by English underwater sculptor of world renown Jason deCaires Taylor were submerged and lowered until they reached the seabed so be seen by divers at 5 metres depth.
The statues, modelled after six residents of the city on the French Riviera, constitute a unique eco-museum for France and the Mediterranean. Eco, as the laborious effort that went into their making, means more than attracting tourists eager for a diving adventure and underwater photography.
It is expected that with time, the statues will turn into artificial reefs and give birth to corals and small fish. Just like naturally formed reefs, they will be promoting biodiversity while also raising public awareness of the important issue of protecting the Mediterranean. Also, the authorities point out, the construction of the eco museum led to the extension of a no-anchoring zone between the islands of Lérins, where it is located.
David Lisnard, Mayor of Cannes said on the occasion “We are not just talking, we are in the sphere of concrete actions: these works will serve as a refuge for biodiversity. It is about the meeting between nature, our treasure, and culture, the specificity of the human.”
Underwater sculptures are the fundament of the work of deCaires Taylor, who is responsible for over a thousand of them. They can be discovered at locations all over the world, pointing to the global problems that affect underwater biospheres.
TheMayor.EU stands against fake news and disinformation. If you encounter such texts and materials online, contact us at info@themayor.eu
The city was concerned about street noise and disturbances to residents
This, however, is likely to change soon
Crucial aspects of resilience, sustainable development and recovery will be under the thematic spotlight
This is city twinning for the 21st century
You can find it in the capital Sofia, where it was installed upon the initiative of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
People in both cities got to sit together both in person and virtually
The city was concerned about street noise and disturbances to residents
And the current administration plans to make Jardin del Turia Europe’s largest city green space by extending it to the sea
The aim is to have the public be able to admire the architectural design without distractions
The installation has been thought out with the concept of letting people “talk” to their dearly departed
It’s an urban space that has undergone several large-scale transformations throughout its existence
A US geologist claims to have solved the centuries-old mystery
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team