Artistic Casting and Industrial Casting: Two Uses of Fire, Two Relationships with Time
- May 22
- 5 min read
Artistic Casting and Industrial Casting: Two Uses of Fire, Two Relationships with Time
Introduction
Not everything that melts metal is the same. The word “casting” can refer to a continuously operating industrial line dedicated to serial production, or to a sculpture atelier where metal is cast only when a work — long in development and carefully matured — finally reaches that decisive moment.
The technical gesture is similar — heating, melting, pouring — but time, meaning and impact are profoundly different.
Mão de Fogo was born and has developed within this second world. A world where fire is not constant, but ritual; where the furnace is not a continuous engine, but a punctual instrument; where most of the work takes place before and after the casting itself, through slow processes of conception, decision and finishing.
This text seeks to explain that difference with clarity and humanity. Not as an abstract defence, but as a faithful account of a concrete artistic practice, with history, evolution and real cultural, academic and territorial impact in the municipality of Montemor‑o‑Novo.
1. A viable beginning within a legal framework (2001)
When Mão de Fogo began its activities in 2001, it was legally permissible to operate a foundry at its current location. The municipal framework and planning regulations in force at the time allowed this use, and the activity was carried out transparently and continuously.
It was only over the years, with successive changes to municipal regulations and the Montemor‑o‑Novo master plan, that the general designation of “foundry” became progressively restricted in rural areas. This regulatory shift was not the result of any intensification of Mão de Fogo’s activity, but rather an administrative reclassification that placed very different production realities under the same category.
It is therefore important to emphasise that:
Mão de Fogo already existed and operated legally at the time of its establishment;
and that current clarification needs arise from regulatory changes, not from any abrupt transformation in the nature of the company.
2. From support foundry to mature atelier
In its early years, Mão de Fogo functioned mainly as a support foundry for external artists. At that stage, the volume of casting was naturally higher, and the furnace was used more frequently, reflecting the artistic production rhythm of the time.
Over time, the company evolved. Its services expanded and specialised, including:
technical consultancy and project support,
process planning and structural solutions,
development and finishing of sculptural works,
assistance in integrating sculpture into public space and architecture.
This transformation had a clear effect: casting activity was significantly reduced, ceasing to be the centre of operations and becoming only one possible stage within a broader process.
A decisive moment in this transition was the full-time integration of sculptor Carla Rondão. Her presence strengthened the atelier’s creative identity and altered its rhythm: works began to remain longer in the studio, undergoing extended phases of modelling, formal development and finishing.
3. The furnace: from constant presence to exceptional gesture
In an industrial foundry, the furnace exists to operate daily. It is the permanent core of production.
At Mão de Fogo, the furnace exists to serve the work, not to justify its own use. It is activated only a few times a year — roughly a dozen casting sessions — and for short periods, rarely exceeding three hours.
This simple fact changes everything:
annual energy consumption,
volume of metal processed,
associated waste,
and even the symbolic relationship with fire.
Here, casting is not routine. It is culmination.
4. The true time of sculpture
A sculpture does not begin at the moment of casting. It begins long before:
in modelling,
in correction,
in mould-making,
in careful preparation of refractory materials,
in drying processes,
in assembling the casting system.
And it continues long after:
in welding,
in chasing,
in surface reconstruction,
in patination,
in protection,
in installation.
The moment when the furnace is lit is intense, but brief. Within the overall timeline, it is almost residual.
To define Mão de Fogo as a “foundry” in the industrial sense is to overlook that fire occupies only a small moment within a long, human and artistic process.
5. Materials, waste and necessary clarity
In the main process used — lost-wax casting — the refractory materials and ceramic shells are based on simple mineral components such as sand and plaster, widely used in construction. When properly managed, they are not toxic waste nor comparable to heavier industrial by-products.
It is also important to clarify that:
Mão de Fogo does not carry out sand casting on its premises;
when such processes are required, they are subcontracted to specialised foundries in Portugal or Spain;
in some cases, casting is fully outsourced.
As a result, the environmental impact of casting activity on site is limited, controlled and occasional.
6. The company name and current activity
Although the company name still includes “Artistic Casting”, this designation should be understood as a historical formality.
In practice:
the scope of activity is now broader, including sculpture atelier work, consultancy and project development;
and within economic classification, casting is no longer the primary activity, having been replaced by sculpture atelier services and agricultural activity.
This agricultural component has particular significance: it reconnects the site to its historical use by the founder’s father until 2013, representing continuity rather than rupture — now enriched by a cultural dimension.
7. An atelier connected to the European academic community
Over the years, Mão de Fogo has established strong ties with the European academic environment. The atelier regularly hosts Erasmus students for professional internships.
These students come to:
work in a real atelier setting,
learn sculptural and material processes,
and experience Montemor‑o‑Novo.
This contributes to the visibility of the municipality across academic networks and creates long-term international connections.
8. A place of cultural circulation and visibility
8.1 Professional visits and discourse networks
Artists, curators, architects and journalists visit Mão de Fogo not as tourists, but as part of an active cultural ecosystem. These visits often generate:
articles and publications,
curatorial texts,
professional media content,
international references.
Montemor‑o‑Novo becomes part of the narrative — not as backdrop, but as the place where the work happens.
8.2 Visibility through real work
This visibility is indirect yet powerful: it emerges through artistic discourse rather than institutional promotion.
8.3 A local artistic hub
The atelier also supports the local artistic community, functioning as a point of exchange and contact between generations and disciplines.
8.4 A cumulative cultural reputation
Over time, these interactions build a quiet but lasting prestige, associating Montemor‑o‑Novo with technical excellence and artistic depth.
9. A future moving away from the furnace — without extinguishing it
Mão de Fogo approaches the future with clarity:
reducing dependence on traditional furnaces,
exploring electric alternatives,
reinforcing its role as a specialised art production service,
attracting international collaborators,
operating as an atelier-office and production hub.
In this model, value lies not in volume, but in expertise, coordination and knowledge.
Conclusion
Mão de Fogo is not an industrial foundry. It is a sculpture atelier, with occasional casting, rooted in a legal history from 2001 and evolving responsibly.
Fire remains present — not as a constant machine, but as a deliberate gesture within a broader artistic process.
It is within this balance — between material, time, creation and territory — that Mão de Fogo establishes itself in Montemor‑o‑Novo: not as an exception, but as a value.
