Largest group of life-size statues underwater

The sculptural ensemble The Silent Evolution by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor consists of 480 life-size human statues placed in the underwater National Marine Park of Punta Cancún, Isla de Mujeres and Punta Nizuc in Mexico. Completed in 2012, the statues – cast from a cross-section of local Mexican people – sit 8 m below the surface, and help to promote the recovery of nearby natural reefs. Over the 18-month construction period, the work required 120 tons of cement, sand and gravel, 3,800 m of fibreglass and 400 kg of silicon. Besides working for over 120 hours underwater and suffering bites from damselfish, the sculpting team doing preparation work close to mangroves in Puerto Morelos received more than 2,500 mosquito bites, tabano bites and fire ant stings. Weighing at least 120 tonnes, the final sculpture cost US$250,000. According to deCaires Taylor, the installation is not yet finished, its future being "dependent on nature's artists of the sea, to nurture, evolve and apply the patina of life".

DeCaires Taylor has completed a series of similar underwater sculptures in the same area, all part of the monumental underwater museum MUSA (Museo Subacuático de Arte). In response to current estimates that human activity now threatens 75% of all coral reefs, his sculptures help create self-sustaining ecosystems of fish and another marine life, as well as giving symbolic form to the dangers facing natural reefs.