Sand art refers to the modeling of sand into an amazing piece of art. This involves numerous art forms like sand painting, sand brushing, and sand sculpting. Sand sculpting is an art not all possess. With constant practice, a lot of patience, and hard work does one master this distinct skill. We have heard of musicians, artists, and dancers, but sand sculptors are very rare.
From recreating an ancient city and a folk fairytale to carving out a tall building with just sand, Sand sculpting has enormously evolved over time! Here’s our list of the ten most incredible sand sculptures of all time:
- China’s Forbidden City- A 2014 Sand sculpture
Source: china daily
The first one on our list of the most amazing sand sculptures the world has ever seen is the reformation of ‘The Forbidden City’ of China. During the early fifteenth century, this place served as a winter residence of the Chinese emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It was a fast-paced city, which later lost all its sheen with the downfall of the dynasty. In the Yokohama Sand art exhibition held in Japan, a pair of Chinese brothers, Zhang Yongkang and Zhang Weikang went on to create a sand sculpture of China’s Forbidden City. For their creation, the duo received great praise from around the world.
2 . Atlantis by Sandis Kondis and Sue McGrew
Source: pinterest
Carved by Sue McGrew and Sandis Kondis, Atlantis is yet another astonishing sand sculpture to witness. It was in the year 2013, that this duo created the beautiful sculpture on a beach in Melbourne, Australia. Atlantis, as it is called, was a part of the ‘Under the Sea Sand Sculpture Exhibition’ held at the Frankston Waterfront from January to April 2013. Sand sculptures, if looked at closely, often tell a story. A story not everyone can understand. It is an art in the purest form and requires a lot of practice and skills to make a sand sculpture like a pro!
3 . Replica of Taj Mahal- Berlin
Source: architectural digest
Taj Mahal located in Agra, India, is one of the seven wonders of the world. It is an exquisite beauty and is definitely a must-visit! Inspired by the magnificent monument, Sudarshan Patnaik created a fifteen-foot-tall sand replica of the infamous building in Berlin. That means Germany now has its own mini Taj Mahal. How amazing does that sound! According to Patnaik, it took him nearly 56 hours of hard work to carve this sand sculpture as a part of theSand Sculpture Festival of Berlin’. This replica of the Taj Mahal attracted a lot of tourists who wish to witness the beauty.
4 . Seaport Village- Jino Van Bruinessen and Peter Redmond
Source: maryann adair’s
Another one of the world’s most impressive sand sculptures on our list belongs to the ‘Under the Sea Sand Sculpture Exhibition’ held at the Frankston waterfront. The sand sculpture named ‘Seaport Village’ was exhibited from January to April 2013 in Melbourne Australia. Jino van Bruinessen along with Peter Redmond created this beautiful sculpture on the Frankston beach. This particular art became a tourist attraction of the region and people from across the country came just to witness the beauty of Seaport Village. Such art definitely leaves its spectators in complete awe.
5 . World’s Tallest Sand Castle Sculpture- Germany
Source: UPI.COM
Germany definitely has some amazing sand sculptures to see! The world’s tallest sand castle is located in Rugen, the Baltic Sea Island. It was during the ‘Sand Sculptures Festival’ that was held in Binz, that the place got its very own reason for attracting tourists apart from its beauty. The astonishing castle with 17.66 meters of height is even listed on the Guinness Book of World records as the world’s highest sandcastle ever carved. People from all over the world specially come to visit the Binz beach, in order to get some amazing views.
6 . Kuwait’s Sand Sculpture inspired by ‘Arabian Nights’
Source: Kuwait moms guide
Highly inspired by the folktale compilation of ‘Arabian Nights’, the Remal International Festival of Kuwait has some very impressive sand structures to witness. This festival was held on a large scale using approximately 35,000 tons of sand and stretching over 30,000 meters of area. Almost seventy-three artists from around the world participated in the Kuwait festival to recreate the Arabian Nights from January to April 2014. The sand sculptures here even allow the visitors to enter and walk through them. This place has become a tourist attraction of its own with shows like ‘Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp’ that are performed on a daily basis.
7 . The Magic of Egypt- Le Touquet, France
Source: media storehouse
A place full of some most luxurious hotels, restaurants, spas, and shopping centers in France, Le Touquet even has a one of its kind sand sculpture. Commonly known as ‘The Magic of Egypt’, the sculpture that is made purely out of the sand has become a must-visit for tourists. It is precisely located on the Le Touquet beach of Picardy, France. This coastal region allows the statue to stand tall on its beach at all times. Le Touquet is also referred to as the playground of rich Parisians. People with a thirst for art come here and spend their evenings witnessing the beauty of ‘The Magic of Egypt’. This sand building was an attempt to replicate one of the oldest sculptures in the world.
8 . 2008 Annual Sea Sculpture Festival’s Sand Building- Middelkerke, Belgium
Another one of the most breathtaking sand sculptures is the ‘Sand Building’ created during the Annual Sea Sculpture Festival that was held in 2008 at Middelkerke, Belgium. This sculpture is known for its great architecture with amazing indoor spaces as well as the corresponding outdoor area. People from around the world took part in this Sea Sculpture Festival and carved out some marvelous structures apart from this world-famous Sand building. The coastline of Belgium has great beaches that allow the country to organize such incredible festivals.
9 . Dubai’s 2020 World Expo Sand Sculptures
Source: what’s on dubai
As a part of Dubai’s 2020 World Expo advertisement, the authorized people created an amazing sand depiction of the city’s most visited and loved buildings including the Burj Khalifa and many others. This sand sculpture was carved on Jumeirah Beach that is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is indeed one of the most famous beaches there. Sand sculptures sometimes express what a billboard can’t. And this one here is a true example of that. The level of detailing done in these sculptures leaves people astonished.
10 . New York’s Chrysler Building- Zeebrugge, Belgium
Source: architectural digest
Last, but not least on our list is the marvelous sand sculpture of the New York’s famous Chrysler Building. This sand replica is located in Zeebrugge, Belgium, and was created at the 2004 Sculptures Festival held in the country. One of the world’s largest sand sculpturing festivals, this Belgium festival has an array of amazing artworks on display. Every year, these sand sculptures are created around a particular theme and people from all over the world come and showcase their talents. After a lot of patience and hard work does one master the skill of carving in the sand. And such festivals allow them to do so.
