Police armed with pickaxes and power tools have destroyed the world's first tidal gallery at a holiday resort in the Maldives after it was deemed offensive to Islam.
The gallery at the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi that opened in July featured semi-submerged exhibits that disappear and reappear as the tide goes in and out.
But Abdulla Yameen, the outgoing president of the tourist nation, ordered the sculptures to be demolished.
The world's first tidal gallery, which had opened at the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi resort in the Indian Ocean
Last Friday, police were ordered to destroy the sculpture after outgoing Maldives president Abdulla Yameen ruled it was offensive to Islam
One policeman uses a saw to remove one of the figures from the top of the sculpture, left. Pictured right, two men forcibly removing the figure
He made the order in July, but his ruling was not acted upon until last Friday, the eve of a presidential election, which he lost to a liberal candidate.
The artwork, known as the Coralarium, was designed by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor.
Resort guests could swim from the shore to the an underwater realm of human-shaped figures.
It was claimed the gallery structure would act as a sheltered space that offers a permanent sanctuary for ocean life such as fish, crustaceans, octopuses and marine invertebrates.
It was claimed the gallery structure would act as a sheltered space that offers a permanent sanctuary for ocean life such as fish, crustaceans, octopuses and marine invertebrates
The semi-submerged cube, pictured, was known as the Coralarium, It was designed by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor
It is unclear why the sculptures were not raised from the waters until Friday, just two days before Yameen was turfed out of office
Yameen said in July that 'significant public sentiment' against the artwork. Pictured right, a snorkeller explores the tidal gallery
While in the evening, an integrated light system illuminated the gallery and attracted marine life while creating an impressive sight from the island shore.
However, Yameen said in July that 'significant public sentiment' against the artwork known as 'Coralarium' had guided his decision to destroy it.
It is unclear why the sculptures were not raised from the waters until Friday, just two days before Yameen was turfed out of office.
It is unclear why the sculptures were not raised from the waters until Friday. A video posted by state media showed several men tearing a statue off a plinth.
The import of statues is prohibited in the Maldives. Even depictions of the Buddha are banned despite a long legacy of Buddhism in the islands before Islam came to dominate the archipelago
Police were photographed chipping away at the works with pickaxes and using power tools to remove them from the large and ornate cage housing them.
Yameen, pictured, had ordered the celebrated artwork destroyed on the grounds it is offensive to Islam
A video posted by state media showed several men tearing a statue off a plinth.
Artist Mr deCaires Taylor told AFP in a statement: 'I was extremely shocked and heartbroken to learn that my sculptures have been destroyed by the Maldivian authorities at the Coralarium, despite continued consultations and dialogue.
'The Coralarium was conceived to connect humans to the environment and a nurturing space for marine life to thrive. Nothing else!
'The Maldives is still beautiful, with a warm and friendly population, but it was a sad day for art and sad day for the environment.'
The import of statues is prohibited in the Maldives. Even depictions of the Buddha are banned despite a long legacy of Buddhism in the islands before Islam came to dominate the archipelago.
Despite the edict, huge cutouts of Yameen towered over the capital Male in the lead-up to Sunday's poll, which he lost after five years of strongman rule marked by a regression from democracy.
Many of these cardboard posters depicting the ousted leader were torn down after he suffered a shock defeat to opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, an act of defiance unthinkable under his iron-fisted leadership.
MailOnline Travel has contacted the hotel for comment.
Let it all sink in: The art gallery that was a short distance from the hotel's infinity pool (pictured)
The Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi is an all-villa resort on a pristine atoll. Its name translates into English as Secret Water Island
Linkhienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/25/worlds-first-tidal-art-gallery-at-maldives-resort-is-destroyed-by-police/
Main photo article Police armed with pickaxes and power tools have destroyed the world’s first tidal gallery at a holiday resort in the Maldives after it was deemed offensive to Islam.
The gallery at the Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi that opened in July featured semi-submerged exhibits that disappear and...
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Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/09/25/11/4532014-6205159-image-a-38_1537870857532.jpg
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