The world tends to laugh at or mock the millionaires who splurge on luxurious, oftentimes very polluting vessels they call their floating vacation home for the summer. So how’s this for a sustainable, absolutely noble spin on luxury private seafaring?
Perini Navi, which is part of The Italian Sea Group as of 2021, built the ArtExplorer on a naval architecture by Guillaume Verdier Architecture and Nacira Design. The exterior and interior designs are penned by architect Axel de Beaufort, but owner Frédéric Jousset also gets a credit in the styling of the interior spaces.
Frédéric Jousset is a French entrepreneur and multi-millionaire with a declared mission to democratize art by creating border-free environments where it can be brought to the masses free of charge – and with minimal carbon footprints. To that end, he set up an international non-profit group called Art Explora and commissioned the ArtExplorer cat to be built out of his own money.
Photo: Axel de Beaufort/Perini Navi/Art Explora
In much simpler words, the cat will be sailing the world carrying pieces of art and creative laboratories of all kinds. Once it docks in a marina, it immediately becomes available for public viewing to the masses, free of charge but with previous online appointments.
By integrating modern and sustainable tech, ArtExplorer comes with a considerably reduced carbon footprint, so it’ll be able to bring culture to the people of the world with less pollution. It’s still powered by twin C7 Caterpillar diesel engines but they’re backed by e-power. The cat is able to move in and out of protected areas on electric motors, sail at speeds of up to 10 knots (11.5 mph/18.5 kph) even in less windy conditions, and run off solar energy for six hours at full load.
ArtExplorer measures 154 feet (47 meters) in length and has a beam of 55.7 feet (17.1 meters). It will function as a floating museum for the next two years, after which it will enter the charter market to offset the costs of democratizing art without entrance fees. Jousset also plans to use it himself in his spare time, and he’s considering extending its use as a museum on exceptional occasions once the two-year window closes.
One trade publication notes that Jousset has officially taken delivery of the cat, which is now in Malta. Its public debut was at the 2023 edition of the Monaco Yacht Show in September.
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