The Giant Hands and Giant Feet of Wincobank

David Lally/Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0)

On the grassy lawns of Wincobank—a suburb in the city of Sheffield—stand whimsical sets of giant hands and feet, as part of the Journey to Hidden Places public art project.

Journey to Hidden Places began in 2010 as an art project with a mission to celebrate the past, present, and future of Wincobank through creative art installations. The whimsical sculptures are placed in areas experiencing cultural renewal and housing growth. Currently, 11 projects make up Journey to Hidden Places, including The Lost Gateway and Enchanted Chairs.

For the Giant Hands and Feet installation, the hands are about six feet high and the feet about six feet long. Both appendages are laser cut steel silhouettes featuring either intricate henna-style patterns or text describing features in the area.

Much of the patterns and text featured on the Giant Hands and Feet art were designed by art project participants at the 2009 Firth Park summer festival. At the festival, board cut outs of the hands and feet were made available for people to contribute their ideas. The end result is an example of art crafted by public participation. The final installation was November 2009.

Know Before You Go

Wincobank is found in the Sheffield district of Yorkshire, just three hours by bus or car from London. If looking for the Giant Hands and Feet installation, the easiest hand to find is outside the old Firth Park Library. The easiest foot to locate is at the entrance to Woolley Woods Park on Ecclesfield Road.