Bioplastic buckets in the shape of mountains will be distributed across 25 UK beaches this summer as part of a participatory art project by artist Katie Paterson.
First There is a Mountain is a nationwide project by the Fife-based visual artist, centred around the creation of multiple "sand mountains" across the UK coastline.

The mountains of sand will be created by the public using five compostable pails that double as scale models of five mountains around the world: Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Shasta (USA), Mount Fuji (Asia), Stromboli (Europe), and Uluru (Oceania).
Made from white bioplastic, the five buckets nest together.

The participatory artwork will tour twenty-five high-profile coastal art venues around the UK, which will each stage a sand-pail-building event on their local beach. "The ways in which the public interacts with the artwork at each location is integral to the evolution of the project and its overall experience," said the artist.
"Participants will sculpt beaches into thousands of mountains of sand to form micro-geologies ? serving as a poetic vehicle that connects diverse world mountains."

At the end of the project, the plastic pails, which are made from fermented plant starch, will be composted back into the ground.
The public will be able to track the project's progress through a dedicated website and social media channels.

The website will also showcase 25 commissioned texts by contributors such as Brian Dil...