Underwater world for exhibition that can only be viewed 145 feet under the sea

Greek philosopher Plato wrote of the legendary city of Atlantis, that sunk to the bottom of the ocean. Now photographer Andreas Franke has created a similar mythical underwater world for a new exhibition - but you can only see it with your scuba gear on under water.

Armed with his camera, Mr Franke dove down to the Vandenberg, a United States missile tracking ship that sunk in 2009 off the coast of Key West, Florida, and used the spectacular images he took as a canvas for a surreal civilisation that never existed.

The collection of photographs capture people going about their daily lives, whether ballerinas en barre, young lovers at the cinema, a patient being wheeled along by a nurse, or young children playing.

But the ordinary scenes become extraordinary when they are superimposed over different parts of the eery sunken ship, with its barnacled interiors and expansive decks swarming with fish.

The ballerinas rest their points on one of the wreck's many railings while instead of catching butterflies, a young girl catches fish with her net.

The fascinating scenes are on display in an exhibition called 'The Vandenberg: Life Below the Surface' but you won't find them in an orthodox gallery. 

Naturally, the images are gracing the walls aboard the sunken vessel, seven miles off the coast of Florida. Divers can access them by boat from Key West. 

Under the sea, the art is encased between sheets of Plexiglas with a stainless steel frame and a silicone seal keeps the water out. Strong magnets ensure the images stay attached to the walls and do not damage the piece of American Naval history.

Mr Franke says the photographs show "mystified scenes of the past that play in a fictional space." 

"They are dreamworlds where you can get lost or that you can identify with. This makes a new and unexpected atmosphere."

So don your diving gear and witness the residents of this curious underwater world in their native habitat, 145 feet under the sea.

Ballerinas practice

A young girl catches fish instead of butterflies

Young lovers catch a movie with the fish

A patient is wheeled along one of the ship's corridors

A young boy looks on as boxers fight underwater

Chubby boys attack the gumball machine

A child from another time plays on the railings of the wreck

Gymgoers exercise in the surreal space

A woman in 1940s dress goes about her daily chores

A worker eats while slouched on the sunken ship's steps

A young boy watches television as fish swim by