How to build a hot body? Bodying is the act of giving material form to something abstract. Designing is bodying!

The art of foundry is one of humanity’s oldest techniques, originating around 3000 BC. The earliest known examples of metal casting come from the Ancient Near East, where copper and bronze were used to create tools, weapons, and ritual objects. From the first bronze statues to the machinery produced during the Industrial Revolution, metal casting has been a fundamental process in human ingenuity.

But how can we bring creativity and innovation to metal casting in today’s world?

In this workshop, you will experience the full foundry process, learning the essential stages: Modeling → Moulding → Casting. These steps will allow you to experiment with materials and techniques, creating your own designs in aluminum or bronze. The primary focus will be on the sand moulding technique, which captures even the smallest details—showing the unexpected beauty in the objects you create.

The goal of this workshop is to design functional objects from "found" materials—items that have been discarded or overlooked, and will be transformed into valuable, expressive pieces. Participants will gather a variety of random materials—metal scraps, wood, textiles, plastics, and even natural elements like stones or plant fibers. These "found objects" will be collaged in 3D, using their shapes, textures, and inherent properties to compose new designs.

Through the process of "drawing in 3D," participants will breathe new life into these materials, transforming something once discarded into a completely new expression. The casting process will then preserve these designs in durable metal, giving them lasting form. In the end, the foundry unites these diverse materials into precious design objects, which are fully recyclable and, in time, can be re-melted and re-bodied.