BELGIUM is trying to show that it has more to offer than international squabbling, chocolate and beer by sculpting its important historical figures in sand.
Fifty sand carvers are putting the finishing touches to a monumental feat of international co-operation after five weeks of castle-building as part of celebrations for the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Belgian state.
Provided that the 24 tonnes of sand used to create this impressive if transient sculpture does no significant shifting, the artists’ work will be opened to the public at the weekend.
The peak of the sculpture is 17m (56ft) tall and depicts the Flemish Lion flirting with a Walloon Cockerel, symbol of the French-speaking Wallonia region. Around the spire are representations of the nine Belgian provinces and images depicting the country’s sport, fashion, music and legends.
The annual sand sculpture festival in the Flemish coastal town of Blankenberge has drawn on the expertise of carvers, with different areas of expertise, ranging from architecture to anatomy, from all over the world. Their creation on the North Sea coast was built from sand brought in by lorry from a quarry in Mont-Saint-Guibert, a village close to the Ardennes.
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This area in southern Belgium was last bathed by sea water 50 million years ago.
The artists began their work by filling wooden moulds with wet sand. The sand is compacted using heavy machinery, turning the sand into hard blocks suitable for carving.
Starting from the top, the artists use the wooden blocks for standing on and gradually remove them as they work downwards. Once a piece has been sculpted, it is sprayed with a biodegradable water-based sealer. This helps to prevent it from drying out and reduces erosion from wind and rain. The art form was invented by the Egyptians about 4,000BC.
The festival is expected to attract more than 300,000 visitors and is open to the public between July 2 and August 28.