D Monday, September 14, 2009 METRO Sinking feeling: This model of the Titanic was made using 8,000 cans Pictures: Solent A tinny baby: A dinosaur, made from 3,780 cans, bursts from its egg Anything you can do... The works of art created from thousands of carefully balanced food tins THE humble food tin was good enough for Andy Warhol. And cans were all it took for arch itects to create these spectacular con structions, which were certain to last a good deal longer than 15 minutes. They were built for the aptly named Canstruction, a food charity which runs design contests around the globe. Competitors spend up to three months designing sculptures. They are assigned mentors who help them by feeding designs into a computer which shows them where to place each can to make the sculpture work. The structures are put together in just 12 hours. Cans of tuna, other fish and oysters are selected for their size, shape and label colour to fit each piece. For example, the Titanic, named TiCANic, is 121cm wide and 198cm long and is made from 8,000 cans of tuna and oysters. The panda is made from 5,575 cans and the dinosaur from 3,780. The globe weighs 846kg and is made from 7,050 cans. Each structure must be selfsupport ing, with quarter ofaninch sheets of cardboard used as levellers. Teams are allowed to use tape, rub ber bands and magnets but judges prefer those structures that do not. All the designs are put on display in the city where the competition takes place. Visitors are asked to donate one tin of food to see them after wards, the tins are given to food banks for distribution to homeless people. Canstruction president Cheri Melillo said: Teams can spend months planning their structure but are given just 12 hours to defy expec tations, logic and gravity. By RoSS McGuinneSS yes, we can: Barack obamas face peers from this model What on earth? The globe is made from more than 7,000 cans and weighs 864kg. The panda uses 5,575 tins index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html