People in Forth Valley are being invited to have a ‘hand’ in an exhibition which will be shown next month (June) in the corridors of Forth Valley Royal Hospital.

Artist Emma Reid, working in the atrium, will capture the shape made inside hands whilst people are holding hands.  She will use alginate gel – a non-toxic material commonly used in the dental industry for taking impressions inside the mouth.  The alginate forms will then be taken back to her studio to be cast in plaster.

Emma is appealing to patients, visitors and staff to take part. “This simple yet unfamiliar act asks two strangers to make contact and share the stillness. The whole process will take around five minutes – but you are welcome to stay longer if you are enjoying the conversation.”

“I’m fascinated by people: the gestures we make, the ways we communicate and how we perform around each other. I pay attention to these moments and see them as performances on a shared public stage.”

NHS Forth Valley Arts and Wellbeing Co-ordinator Babs McCool added:  This is part of the annual Open Studios and this year our contribution will involve patients, visitors and staff leaving a lasting impression for everyone to enjoy. It’s not every day that there is a chance to become part of a new sculpture.”

Emma Reid will be in the Atrium of Forth Valley Royal Hospital on Wednesday May 18 and Thursday May 19 between 11.00am and 6.00pm.