Submerged Galleries

The Sinking World is an ongoing series of fine art photography projects by reknown photographer Andreas Franke.

The images are enchanting in their own right, but what makes this art project particularly fascinating is where the artist chooses to display it. The final artwork is placed at its origin, at the place that is used as their backdrop. An exhibition under the sea where the pieces stay for several months.

The stories of The Sinking World take place at the mystic surrounding of underwater sceneries. They happen on sunken shipwrecks or in the middle of coral reefs.

Daily life

Elegant dancers practicing on the deck, a young girl runs on deck amidst a sea of fish happily wielding a butterfly net. A disturbing man, tightly bound in a straight jacket, is being wheeled down a narrow, darkened deck path.

Immerse yourself with familiar stories in the mystical scenery of the sunken USS Vandenberg.

“Sarah” out of the “Vandenberg Project” Series

An extraordinary transformation

The artwork is exhibited about 30 miles off the coast of Key West and stayes there for about 4 months. During this time marine life settles on the exhibits and completes them with the final touch by the sea itself.

24.27 N, 81.44 W.

These coordinates mark the spot of the final resting place of an old brave soldier, the USS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg.
In 2009 it underwent a complete change when the creaky steel monster became a mystical bearer of secrets.

In May of that year, the Vandenberg was lowered down into the darkness of the ocean off the coast of Florida to become an artificial reef, where it would dwell in rigor mortis at a depth of 130 feet. It did not take long before life took back its dominion on the bulky 10.000 tons. A life draped in proud, majestic silence, which endowed its opposing emptiness with rich content.
This lively, animate, secretive nothingness, this menacing, wild emptiness would haunt and seduce the renowned Austrian photographer and passionate diver Andreas Franke who visited the Vandenberg in 2010 for his firs first time, followed by many…

Rococo!

In search of the right topic for an underwater exhibition on SS Stavronikita, the Viennese artist determined that this European era, this age of decadence with all its intoxicating extravagance, its vanity and disdain would sign-on to the sunken Greek freighter.
But did he really determine it? Was the Stavronikita not rather urging him to do so? The wreck full of lavish life demanded a match as overflowing and abundant as Rococo, its ideal equivalent.

Enjoy one of the most flashing and flamboyant epochs of European style and cultural history in the midst of a scenery, in which nature displays all of its own abundance and prodigality.

“Marie” out of the “Stavronikita Project” Series

The traveling salesman

The SS Stavronikita lies at the bottom of the ocean at 13.8 N, 59.38 W, right off the Caribbean island of Barbados. It is the spot Andreas Franke has discovered and chosen to stage a game full of overflowing decadence and exuberance.

A traveling salesman, the Stavronikita fell victim to a devastating fire over 20 years ago and with no hope for recovery it was lowered into the silent depths to lie there – fossilized into an artificial reef which one thought would sleep for all eternity.

Live and dream

Pictures of deck brawls, tattoo sessions and sailors courting the women in a style that is as lost in time as the ship they stand upon. Themes of love, loss, and youth.

Image the life of sailors – their daily lives and dreams of home.

“Reunion” out of the “Mohawk Project” Series

Finishing by the sea

The months of submerged exhibition result in a layer of marine life on the artwork. The sea refines the final look and converts the exhibits to its own unique masterpieces.

“Mighty Mo”

The USS Mohawk CGC, a 165-foot World War II warship that is now a living reef thriving with exotic marine life – is the home for Andreas Franke’s 3rd underwater art project.
Andreas Franke was leading a team 28 nautical miles off the coast of Sanibel Island, near Fort Myers, to install 12 images that became a gallery within the ship’s inner spaces and remain on display through Sept. 14, 2013.