I can't count the number of times I've nearly had a heart attack because of some loose grate on the sidewalk—you know, the only thing standing between me and the smelly, rushing subway tunnel below. I'd imagine that if you unexpectedly walked upon Jeroen Bisscheroux's "POOL, Loss of Color," you'd have a similar feeling.

The floor painting is a 3D depiction of an empty pool. And as you can see from the photos below, visitors have been having a ball using the design to its full photo-op potential. While the actual art itself is memorable in its own bemusing way, like any other important work, the real enduring sentiment comes in the inspiration behind the project. The exhibit brings two disasters to viewers' attention in one image: the Sendai tsunami and the Fukishima disaster.

Both disasters have had lasting effects, and the Bisscheroux's installation sets out to remind viewers of this. The artist shares more about the piece's background:

The artwork transforms the two disasters to human scale. It's not something happening somewhere far from here. It is a translation of the threat of an even greater tragedy that hangs over our heads. The problems surrounding the nuclear power plant in Fukushima are far from being resolved. Both in Japan, but especially in Western Europe, the events in Fukushima have faded into the background.

This isn't Bisscheroux's first time tossing people into the deep end—figuratively and literally. Check out more of her pool-inspired floor paintings on her website.

Via Design Milk