Nobody can count them, the many grains of sand. A show on the Baltic Sea island of Rügen shows what can be made of them.
Binz – In addition to extensive sandy beaches, the Baltic Sea island of Rügen has also been offering a show with impressive sand figures since Saturday.
The spectrum of motifs that can be seen in the new sand sculpture exhibition in Prora on the outskirts of the Baltic Sea resort of Binz ranges from Zeus, the father of the gods, to the astronauts of modern times.
The motto of the exhibition “What a wonderful world”, which was set long before the outbreak of war in Ukraine, now provides a kind of counterpoint to the most recent developments.
Landscapes, personalities of contemporary history, mythical creatures and scenes of regional customs are shown. According to the organizers, there were no limits to the imagination of the 28 artists from nine countries. Using shovels, scalpels, special tools and brushes, they had spent weeks peeling their sculptures out of the piled-up mountains of sharp-grained sand. According to the information, more than 9,000 tons had been approached from a nearby gravel pit.
Look in the glass palace
Since last year, the annual exhibition on Rügen has been held in a specially built “Glass Palace”. For this purpose, former tank halls were rebuilt with an elaborate glass construction. Previously, the show was shown in tents. Thanks to the new domicile, visitors can now view the sand sculptures all year round, said a spokeswoman. In addition to the sand sculptures, more than 600 plants from all over the world would also be shown for the first time.
The new show was already well received on the first day with the best weather for strolling. The greatest influx is expected with the start of the tourist season. dpa
