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Dr. Sarah Fortais is looking to cast 60 anonymous hands from the UCL community, to be used in the creation of a new art installation on Wilkins Terrace. Staff, students, alumni, and volunteers from UCL are all invited to participate.

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Casting event image
Casting event image, Sarah Fortais, 2018
Casting event image
Casting event image, Sarah Fortais, 2018

Would you like to participate in a permanent outdoor art installation, get your hands messy, and learn more about life casting? Dr. Sarah Fortais from the Slade School of Fine Art is looking to cast 60 anonymous hands from the UCL community, to be used in the creation of a new art installation on Wilkins Terrace. Staff, students, alumni, and volunteers from UCL are all invited to participate.

What does it involve?
On Thursday 13th of September, 2018, Fortais and her team will be casting hands from 10:30am-6:30pm on Wilkins Terrace. The process consists of first sticking your hand into a bowl of wet alginate (approximately 7 minutes) and then carefully pulling your hand out. From there, Sarah will pour melted wax into the alginate mould in order to create a wax version of your hand.

At the event, you will have the opportunity to sign up to an e-newsletter which will keep you up-to-date on the progress of the artwork: the turning of the wax hands into either bronze or aluminium, the installation of the hands onto Wilkins Terrace, and the artwork’s final unveiling!

In order to enable as many people as possible to participate, we will be casting hands on a first come, first served basis. We are not expecting any line-ups, but in the event that the event proves overwhelmingly popular, we will be happy to take your name and give you a 30-minute time slot for later in the day, whereby you can return and be given priority for your hand to be cast.

The casting event will take place rain or shine.

Please bring your UCL ID card.