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

Geneva, Switzerland – 25 October 2021 – With today being International Artist Day today, MSC Cruises is giving artists and designers around the world the opportunity to transform the hull of MSC Euribia into a giant, floating canvas to communicating the importance of respect for the environment. The ship, 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 and the vision of the ship 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 from around the world 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. 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 its commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2050.

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 not only 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 embrace innovative technologies to minimise 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 travelled the world sculpting Beach Art in the United States, France, Morocco, Holland and Portugal, raising awareness of sea-related environmental issues, 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. And through this contest, MSC Euribia as she sails the world will be proudly showcasing this important message of our commitment on her hull for all to see,” Mr Vago added.

Only one winner will be lucky enough for their artwork to be showcased on the ship’s hull, as a sailing outdoor gallery for the world to see. Five further shortlist finalists will also have their designs displayed in an exhibition on board MSC Euribia, where guests will be exposed 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 19 October, he created an immense 45 metre x 45 metre fresco on 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 industry. This include 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 utilise a next-generation advanced wastewater treatment system as well as an underwater radiated noise management system to minimise 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 EUR 3 billion.

For more information on the contest, please visit here 

For more information on how to enter, please visit here 

The winning design, 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 25 October 2021.