A massive sustainable sculpture made of eco-friendly, PH-neutral materials seems to hold up the surface of the sea from its position on the ocean floor near New Providence in the Bahamas. The underwater work of art by Jason Decaires Taylor references the titan Atlas, who held up the celestial spheres in Greek mythology, but is made to look like a local youth to symbolize the burden that future generations will have to carry in the event of ocean collapse.
The sixty-ton Ocean Atlas is the largest single sculpture ever placed under the sea, and is expected to be the first feature in a new sculpture garden. A pole mounted with a flag and solar light emerges from the statue’s back, rising into the sky to mark its location.
In addition to being a draw for snorkeling and scuba-diving tourists, the statue acts as an artificial reef for marine life in the area. The placement, off the western coastline, was specifically chosen to draw tourists away from over-stressed underwater destinations that need a little rest from human activity.


