Impressions of ancient organisms left by primeval crabs, worms, snails, and mussels that inhabited the bygone ocean floor millions of years ago are presented as works of art by the renowned Tübingen University paleontologist Dr. Adolf Seilacher.

Since early May, the traveling "Fossil Art" exhibition has been on display in Warsaw. The Museum of Evolution in the Palace of Culture is the venue for the exhibition of 40 epoxy replicas of fossilized animal tracks and fascinating sedimentary structures covering a time span of over a billion years. "This exhibition represents the marriage of art and science," explains paleontologist Seilacher.

Together with the Tübinger museum preparator Hans Luginsland, the paleotologist created the popular exhibition using funds included in the prestigious Crafoord Prize awarded to him by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In the 12 years since, the exhibition has toured Canada, Japan, USA, Brazil, Portugal, Scandinavia and Germany.

"Fossil Art" focuses on patterns and shapes. Providing information on the scientific background is of secondary importance to the researcher, a fact evident from the fanciful names given the exhibits: "Trilobite Pirouette," "Independence Day," and "Life and Death in Dinosaur Park." The paleontologist explains numerous interrelationships and research findings in the exhibition's catalog (WACKER sponsored the Warsaw edition), which provides scientific information about each of the items on display.

Hans Luginsland made most of the molds for casting the replicas from ELASTOSIL^® M moldmaking compounds, the room-temperature-curing, two-component silicone rubber grades known for their excellent fidelity of reproduction.

Thanks to ELASTOSIL M's great elasticity and outstanding release properties, the cured molds can be peeled from the original surfaces very easily. They are ideal for making replicas of all levels of intricacy and for all kinds of casting material, whether this be wax, plaster, concrete, casting resins or low-melting metal alloys.