oystermen by marco casagrande soar above a beach in taiwan
images courtesy of marco casagrande

 

 

 

finnish architect marco casagrande is the creator of ‘oystermen’, an environmental artwork of four freestanding sculptures emerging from a the sea at a tidal beach in kinmen, taiwan. the figures tower over the water, soaring 6 meters from the surface of the earth during low tide. when the tide shifts, and the ocean deepens around the men, they materialize half-covered by the waves. the structures are made from sand blasted stainless steel and wear luminescent caps that are powered by solar light, illuminating the seascape at night. over a period of time, the legs of the massive art pieces will become the habitat for the work’s namesake: they will be completely covered in oysters. 

oystermen by marco casagrande soar above a beach in taiwan
the structures at sea during high tide conceals their lower halves beneath the water 

oystermen by marco casagrande soar above a beach in taiwan
the oystermen at low tide tower 6 meters above the surface of the sea

oystermen by marco casagrande soar above a beach in taiwan
the four sculptures are illuminated at night by their solar powered caps

oystermen by marco casagrande soar above a beach in taiwan
emerged in the water at a tidal beach in kinmen, taiwan

 

oystermen by marco casagrande soar above a beach in taiwan
drawings by the artist illustrate his vision for the oystermen design