Drowning World – Underwater Photography by Andreas Franke

Austrian photographer and amateur deep-sea diving Andreas Franke released a new series of photos called “Project Stavronikita or life below sea level”, which is exposed deep under water – on a sunken ship in the Caribbean Sea, near the coast of Barbados. Less than two years ago, the adventurer-photographer first introduced his idea of an underwater gallery at a depth of 40 meters with photos attached to a sunken ship called Vanderberg. The new exhibition is made on the same principle but offers a completely different collection of surreal photographs that can be seen submerged.

Franke’s latest project shows the decadents of the Rococo era, imposing scenes from their lives on the background of the sunken cargo ship Stavronikita and swarming around marine life. The photographer works by contrasting pictures of models depicting a period of pompous wealth, and underwater photography of the ship itself, creating intriguing stories that everyone can interpret in their own way. Like his previous work, Stavronikita is exposed under water. Photos are placed in waterproof frames made of Plexiglas and stainless steel and fastened to the ship’s side by powerful magnets. The gallery can be visited until April of this year, immersed in a depth of 80 feet.