IT is the art gallery that is, quite literally, a bit of a dive. Because EDP Art Reef Vhils, which this week picked up the plaudits at a big travel awards night, is … UNDERWATER.

Off the coast of the Algarve’s Albufeira, renowned artist Vhils has created 13 sculptures, all of them submerged 12 metres in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s definitely one for deep thinkers.

Each of the pieces is crafted from decommissioned power station materials such as iron and concrete, and then left to the care of Mother Nature, providing a habitat for marine life.

Power company EDP says that the project reflects its goal of transitioning to energy produced by renewable technologies instead of fossil fuels, and promotes marine biodiversity.

The exhibition, across a 1,250 square metre site, can only be visited by divers with the appropriate certification, and a roster of approved specialist dive operators has been drawn up.

Portuguese artist Vhils, who works out of London and Lisbon, says the sculptures “tell a story of subsistence, confrontation, and bridges”. The repurposing of materials is a signature style.

The exhibition was this week named Best Europe Tourism Project at the prestigious British Guild of Travel Writers Awards, which were staged at The Bloomsbury Ballroom in central London.

For full details of the exhibition, and how to visit, see the official EDP Art Reef website.