Have you ever try building a sandcastle with your children or grandchildren?
Armed with shovel, rake and buket, you set off on this adventure, taking care to stay away from the seashore. The buckets are filed with sand and placed on the beach, a semblance of shape is given. But after two hours, unfortunetaly the rain comes and the few mounds of sand seem to dissolve under the drizle. A disappointing operation for both children and parents! And yet sand sculpture competitions are organised, and seem to withstand the ravages of the weather. They are created by professionels from all over the world. The first ' Sand Sculptors International ' association was set up around 1970, but it wasn ' t until the begining of the 21st century that competitions began to develop. We can mention a few sites in France : Hardelot, Le Touquet, in Belgium : Ostend, Middelkerke, in Egypt : Hurghada, with its distinctive relief on the sands of the Sahara. What are techniques used? To create gigantic works of art that don ' t sag, we need to use a special kind of sand that comes from quaries or rivers. Its special feature is that it has grains with rough edges that catch. It also needs to be humidify and compacted. Seawater is recommended for this stage, as it contains molecules that act like magnets. The combination of these two ingredient is ideal for ensuring perfect cohesion between the grains. Minamisatsuma in Japan has made a sculpture that is said to be 25 years old! |
