MSC CRUISES INVITES ARTISTS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE TO DESIGN HULL OF MSC EURIBIA, THE COMPANY’S MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY ADVANCED SHIP YET

Announced today on International Artist Day, MSC Cruises is giving artists and designers around the world the opportunity to transform the hull of MSC Euribia into a giant, floating canvas, with the goal to communicate the importance of respect for the environment. The design contest, which opens today, is a first for MSC Cruises and shines a light on the Company’s ongoing commitment to the environment and to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2050. 

MSC Euribia – which is the most environmentally advanced ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet to-date – is named after the ancient goddess Eurybia, who harnessed the winds, weather and constellations to master the seas, as the ship’s vision is to master the deployment of state-of-the-art sustainable technologies to protect and preserve the precious marine ecosystem.

International Artist Day is an opportunity to celebrate the unique way in which artists view the world and their contribution to cultural enrichment. MSC Cruises is calling on artists to create a unique artwork inspired by the sea and its important marine ecosystem that will be featured as a permanent design across the ship’s hull as she sails the world’s oceans.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group, said, “We are a family company with over 300 years of maritime heritage; all we do and ever did is shipping. The sea is our livelihood and our passion. For this and more, since our early days, we focused on looking after it for the next generations. Today, this means that, at MSC Cruises, we are equipping our ships with the latest and most advanced environmental technologies and solutions. We also fund research and invest directly to support the accelerated development of next generation solutions and we embrace innovative technologies to minimize our impact and protect and preserve our precious marine ecosystems.”

The entries will be judged by a panel of international judges including sand artist Jben, known for his large-scale ephemeral sand frescoes that wash away with the tide; architect Martin Francis; and Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of the Cruise Division of MSC Group. Jben has traveled the world sculpting Beach Art in the United States, France, Morocco, Holland and Portugal, and raising awareness of sea-related environmental issues and encouraging marine protection and preservation.

“The winning design will be yet another sign of our ongoing commitment to protecting the oceans and achieving net-zero operations, an ambitious goal that we have set for ourselves to reach by 2050 or sooner. Through this contest, MSC Euribia will be proudly showcasing this important message of our commitment on her hull for all to see as she sails the world,” Mr. Vago added.

Only one winner will be lucky enough to have their artwork showcased on the ship’s hull as a sailing outdoor gallery for the world to see. Five additional shortlist finalists will also have their designs displayed in an exhibition on board MSC Euribia, where guests will be exposed to their art and its important message for years to come.

MSC Cruises also shared a video today of artist Jben calling on other artists to join him. On October 19, he created an immense 148x148-foot fresco on the French beach the Côte Sauvage, telling designers ‘MSC wants you’ and calling on them to join the competition.

MSC Euribia will come into service in 2023 and become the second LNG-powered ship in MSC Cruises’ fleet, marking another step forward in substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions. LNG plays a key role in the journey towards climate change mitigation and MSC Euribia’s engines have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 21% compared to standard fuels while also virtually eliminating other air emissions.

As bio and synthetic fuels become available, MSC Euribia’s emissions will be further reduced. LNG is also key to the development of sustainable fuels and fuel cell solutions for shipping as these emerging technologies cannot be operated with traditional fuels. MSC Cruises is actively involved in several projects to develop and make these technologies viable in partnership with regulators, academia, shipyards and the industry. This includes a project to study the use of hydrogen fuel in cruise ships in partnership with Fincantieri and SNAM, as well as a pilot project for the development of solid oxide fuel cell technology for cruise ships.

MSC Euribia will also utilize a next-generation advanced wastewater treatment system as well as an underwater radiated noise management system to minimize the effects of vibrations on marine life. Multiple energy efficiency features help reduce and optimise engine use.

MSC Cruises is committed to powering at least three upcoming ships with LNG, representing a total investment exceeding USD $3.5 billion.

For more information on the contest, please visit here

For more information on how to enter, please visit here.

The winning designer, in addition to having their art sail all around the world on MSC Euribia’s hull, will receive a monetary prize and a cruise experience on board the ship. Shortlisted winners, in addition to their art being displayed on board MSC Euribia, will also receive a smaller monetary prize.

The contest will last eight weeks, beginning on October 25, 2021.