MuMart: The Underwater Art Museum 0 Comments

MuMart, an acronym for "Maritime Museum of Art", is an underwater museum of modern art, the only one in Sardinia, officially inaugurated on 26th July 2013, in the presence of the art critic Vittorio Sgarbi. The statues depict subjects related to the marine world, positioned on the seabed of Golfo Aranci. The context in which the statues are positioned is matching the appeal of the statues themselves.

Secured to the bottom of the sea, from 4 to 7 meters deep, there are the works of 14 contemporary artists all of international fame: Alex Angi, Renata Boero, Roberto Bricalli, Rimmer Cardillo, Franco Carloni, Bruno Ceccobelli, Santiago Cogorno, Gyula Kosice, Nino Mustica, Peter Nussbaum, Ben Patterson, Rogelio Polesello e Luiso Sturla, as well as Emmanuel Chapalain, the artist who worked on the decoration of the road pavement of the Via del Molo in Porto Rotondo: here he represents the food chain in n a wave where big fish eat small fish.

The blue water and the magic of the fauna and flora of the underwater world of the gulf are the unrepeatable settings that surround the works. The feeling you get from observing that underwater world is fantastic, an emotion that is worth living. Myriads of small fish swim around the sculptures, the current cradle the poseidonia meadows, the sea crowds with sea breams, sea basses, jellyfish and many other living beings in their own habitat. The true value of MuMart is precisely this: to enhance the underwater world without annoying in any way the creatures that inhabit it.

Three are the possible ways to visit MuMart, irradiated by the sun rays filtering through crystal clear water: 3 are the possible ways to visit the Underwater Museum: you can visit it staying dry and comfortable thanks to the glass-bottom yellow submarine Mizar I which is running only in Summer and it leaves from the harbour of Golfo Aranci. Tickets are available in town or with the Concierge service of the Gabbiano Azzurro Hotel & Suites) Otherwise, one can go by snorkelling (fins, mask and a good snorkel are recommended) or accompanied by the equipped and experienced guides of the local diving centres.

Inaugurating the Museum, the City Mayor Giuseppe Fasolino  commented: "...this museum is born to provide accessible art to the public as well as attracting tourists through culture."

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Written by Daniela Toti

In the photo: a scuba diver at the MuMart. Photo ©Miho Tsuruoka