Heart of Steel (Hemoglobin), 2005, Photo Credit: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Heart of Steel by Julian Voss-Andreae

Inspired by his background in science, Julian Voss-Andreae is a German sculptor based in Portland, Oregon. He began his artistic career as a painter, but later changed directions and returned to study physics, mathematics and philosophy at the Universities of Berlin, Edinburgh and Vienna. Voss-Andreae completed his graduate studies in quantum physics, then moved to the U.S. to study sculpture, graduating from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2004.

Voss-Andreae’s work, showcases his background in science, and has been commissioned for multiple institutions and collectors around the globe, including several universities. He has also been featured in print and broadcast media worldwide.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Hearts in San Francisco

The Hearts in San Francisco project began in 2004. One hundred thirty-one heart sculptures created by local Bay Area artists, were displayed for three months until they were auctioned. The project raised almost $2 million for the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, as well as a new level of exposure for its mission of providing life-saving care to anyone in need, regardless of ability to pay.

The hearts are located all over the San Francisco area. Some of the hearts are owned privately, while others are in public and easily discovered locations. Due to the Hearts in San Francisco project, the hearts are easily recognizable and spread a positive recognition of the Heart of Our City campaign to raise awareness and donations for the San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

Pop Heart by Kristen Hoard

This is a contemporary tabletop metal sculpture created from recycled metal. This heart art is cut out of one piece of steel, which is pulled out to make the heart appear to pop out at the viewer.

Kristen Hoard began sculpting with metal in 1999. Based in Sacramento, Hoard participates regularly in art festivals throughout Northern California and exhibits in local galleries. Inspired by her experiences at Burning Man, Hoard now experiments with sculptures that incorporate the use of fire, flames and neon lighting. She has also completed several large corporate logo metal sculpture pieces displayed around the Bay Area.

Photo Credit: http://www.decordova.org/art/sculpture-park/two-big-black-hearts

Two Big Black Hearts by Jim Dine

Though Jim Dine was influenced as a young artist in the 1960s by pop art, his work draws significantly from abstract expressionism. For his piece, Two Big Black Hearts, Dine has incorporated casts of various objects, including hands, faces, seashells, hammers and other tools into the surface of the sculptures two large hearts. While this may appear to be a random combination of objects, Dine put great thought into the objects to use. The tools represent childhood memories; his grandparents owned a hardware store.

The heart is significant in whole context of Dine’s work, he has returned to this image throughout his career, using it as a backdrop for his expressions. This diverges from the traditional style of pop art, and Dine focuses on turning objects into emotion. He works in several media, ranging from painting, drawing, and mixed media to sculpture, photography, book illustration, and printmaking. Dine often utilizes mixed-media and collage techniques. His own personal items, such as his own clothing, shoes, and tools, become a part of his canvases. The artist now lives and works in New York and Vermont.

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/heartfullnessproject

Heartfullness by Katy Boynton

Katy Boynton hopes to give hope through her Heartfullness project, which embodies the idea that even if our hearts are damaged, they can heal again. Heartfullness is a 12 by 15 foot steel burning heart. The transformed heart features fire elements that are controlled by pulling on its heartstrings. The flames can be viewed from outside, and from the cozy love seat made of woven rope inside the sculpture. The interior skeleton is made of steel, and covered by reclaimed sheet metal representing a reconstructed heart. The sculpture is complete with red LEDs that follow the beating of a heart on an audio file.

The sculpture debuted at Burning Man in 2012, and continues to be exhibited. Katy also creates stainless steel jewelry depicting her Heartfullness theme.

Photo Credit: http://wgsn-hbl.blogspot.hk/2010/07/sculpture-in-garden.html

Stranded Heart by Diane Maclean

The Stranded Heart sculpture by Diane Maclean was donated to the University of Leicester by an anonymous party to support the Cardiovascular Research Centre (CRC) at the Leicester Glenfield Hospital. Cardiovascular disease is one of the major causes of illness and death in the UK, taking the lives of over 198,000 people every year.Diane Maclean works primarily with steel and stainless steel on a large scale and has exhibited her work widely in the UK and around the world.

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The images that cross your mind may seem apocalyptic, or even impossible to fathom. There is barely a part of our lives today that is not influenced by the metal, and it is not an exaggeration to say that steel is perhaps the most significant component of the modern world. Without it, civilization as we know it would cease to exist. Let’s take a look at a few ways the world would be a different place without steel.

Skylines would be incredibly boring.

Structures such as skyscrapers and towers would be inconceivable without steel supports and cables. Therefore, buildings would be low-rise at their tallest, making densely populated cities devastatingly uncomfortable. It’s hard to imagine a world without the likes of the Burj Khalifa, the Eiffel Tower or the Empire State Building, all of which utilize steel as a main construction component.

We’d have very few options for dinner.

The food we eat today has been refined in factories with steel tools, processed with steel equipment, baked in steel ovens and preserved in steel cans. It is delivered to us via steel trains on steel rails, or by steel trucks over steel-reinforced roads. As such, in a world without steel, our food sources would be limited to what could be cultivated locally and the possibility of faminewould be persistent.

Getting in touch would take for-ev-er.

(Image source: http://bit.ly/1dgLFuc)

Without steel to manufacture telephones, computers or even mail trucks, we would be stuck relying on less than efficient carrier pigeons (which were actually a thing a few thousandyears ago) or the pony express. So much for instant connection.

Reading material would be extremely limited.

(Image source: http://bit.ly/1tNFW6q)

Newspapers, magazines and books we read today are mostly printed on a steel press. Even the paper is made from wood which is cut with steel implements and processed in steel machines. Mind you, there wouldn’t be any steel-plated pens, either, so quills would be used to write and copy the material. Of course, there might be bronze movable type printing, but it would still take a very long time and amount of patience to carry out.

Disease would run rampant.

Stainless steel has contributed greatly to improved sanitation in hospitals, restaurants and other public environments, and has helped to save the lives of millions. Easy to clean, it is more hygienic, impervious to corrosion and scratch-resistant, and is capable of standing up to harsh sterilizers, heat and heavy use, preventing deadly bacteria from surviving on its surface. Without it, the constant threat of diseases such as Ebola and measles would be very real.

Unemployment would rise and the economy would crumble.

Crude steel production reached 1.66 billion tons worldwide in 2014 which only says one thing about our world… it’s growing. It’s estimated that more than 95 countries are producing steel today, with more than two million employees worldwide, and a further two million contractors and four million people in supporting fields. Without this vital industry, the world economy would suffer and many people would be without jobs.

A glimpse into the world of steel

Fortunately, we do live in a modern world where steel does exist and its importance is clear. Yet few people tend to notice it, or understand how it works. Which is why TenarisUniversity, in conjunction with the World Steel Association’s steeluniversity, has launched the massive open online course (MOOC), “Introduction to Steel.”

This lively online learning program will feature the basics of steel melting, steel’s historical and cultural context, its relationship with society and the sustainability of a world supported by steel by utilizing everyday examples, demonstrations and film footage of steel making. Additionally, it will encourage community interactions between students and the professor.

“We believe in the highest standards of education to develop people all around the world,” Rolando Lange, Director of TenarisUniversity noted. “With this MOOC, we hope students will get passionate about steel as a material and learn about the critical role it plays in our society.”

Comprised of a four-hour framework, the course is open to all free of charge. It starts on June 2 and will run for two weeks. Registration is now open. Click here to enroll in the class, or for more information.

Ba Ria Hospital Charity Kitchen

POSCO Vietnam’s volunteer campaign, which took place in 3 areas of the Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, was carried out under the theme “Protect the Environment and Aid the Disheartened.” To this end, POSCO Vietnam employees visited Ba Ria Hospital on June 10 to congratulate its 30^th anniversary and serve food to its patients. Ba Ria Hospital has only 300 beds, but POSCO Vietnam prepared food for 700 people in order to serve not only the patients but also their relatives.

“This is the first time I’ve taken part in volunteer work in Vietnam,” said Mr. Yun Yang Su, a newly appointed general director of POSCO Vietnam. “It makes me happy to see the patients’ faces when they’re enjoying their food. I think they haven’t had anything to eat for hours,” he added.

“This is the most delicious food I’ve ever had since I was at this hospital. Thank you POSCO Vietnam so much for my full meal,” said Mrs. Tran Thi Tam, 69, a patient who lives 40km away from the hospital. Despite her old age, Mrs. Tam lives in a tattered home and labors day after day to make a living. Much of her hard-earned money goes into the treatment and medicine for her heart disease. The rest is spent on bare necessities. Because she does not have enough money, she eats much less than she should, and her health condition is getting worse day by day. Mrs. Tam was not the only one in such a plight, and POSCO Vietnam employees felt mixed emotions of joy and sadness while aiding the patients and their relatives at Ba Ria Hospital.

Community Repair Services at Chau Pha Commune

POSCO Vietnam also visited Chau Pha commune of the Tan Thanh district. The destitute commune was facing three problems: First, there weren’t any handrails in the neighborhood’s two bridges which made it dangerous for the locals to cross. Second, the rainy season was expected to arrive in the end of the month, but most houses in the neighborhood had leaky roofs. Last, several houses lacked sufficient lighting for daily activities and for the children to study.

Repairing the community was a challenge, but POSCO Vietnam faced it with unparalleled enthusiasm: In just one day, the volunteer team finished installing handrails for the two bridges, fixed the roofs of 5 houses, and installed lights in 10 houses.

“Today, the POSCO Vietnam volunteers worked over noon to finish these bridges,” said Mr. Tran Van Lam, a resident living near the bridge. “When it rains heavily, the bridges often get flooded and people can’t see anything. Now with the handrails installed, my children aren’t in danger anymore when traveling to school crossing this bridge. I thank the volunteers so much,” he said.

Apart from performing general repair work, POSCO Vietnam volunteers visited the family of Mr. Nguyen Van Phong, who suffered brain and leg injury while working in a factory. Though Mr. Phong labored all his life, his earnings were meager. After becoming disabled, he stays in bed and depends on his wife for survival. POSCO Vietnam employees promptly visited the Phong residence after hearing about Mr. Phong’s plight. They fixed the leaky roofs and concreted the walls with thick nylon in case of heavy rain. They left with promises to come back in the near future to build an adequate home for Mr. Phong and his family.

Cleaning Up Long Hai Beach – the newly discovered beach of Vung Tau City

Long Hai is a newly discovered beach at Ba Ria-Vung Tau province with beautiful transparent water which attracts thousands of tourists who come and enjoy every weekend. It would have been nice if these tourists enjoyed the beach without any environmental consequences, but the truth is that they leave a lot of garbage and waste such as plastic cans, nylon bags, and paper.

Although Long Hai is 50km away from the POSCO Vietnam office, it did not stop the enthusiastic volunteer team from jumping in to pick up the waste and garbage along the beach.

“It was so hot today, so we arrived early to collect the waste and garbage,” said Mr. Huy, POSCO-Vietnam’s manager of Training and Education Team. “Our goal was to raise awareness of protecting the environment to the local people and the tourists,” he said.

Moving Forward For a Better World

POSCO Vietnam aims to build a “POSCO Village” this year at the at the resettlement area of Tan Hoa commune in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. Beginning in September 2014, the planned project consists of 85 houses for people in need to be built within the next two years.

For POSCO Vietnam, doing business does not simply mean generating profit. Quoting general director Yun Yang Su’s comments on corporate citizenship: Cultivating ties with the local community via practical CSR activities is equally important, making the company mature with stable growth.

From August 12th to 16th, volunteers from Daewoo International, Vision Care and the employees working at Daewoo International’s trade office in Myanmar teamed up to visit the city of Yangon. During the CSR activity, the volunteers provided medical supports for about 400 cataract and strabismus patients. They also shared bottles of clean water and snacks to accommodate the patients.

Park Jeong-hwan, the vice president of Daewoo International, appreciated the efforts by Daewoo International employees and volunteers and said, “Myanmar holds a significant meaning to us because we succeeded in developing the gas field after 13 years of exertion.” “Also, Daewoo International is operating CSR activities by building hospitals and schools, as well as providing disaster rehabilitation. Giving medial supports for patients at Eye Camp is very worthwhile and happy engagement,” he added.

Daewoo International is also planning to hold another Eye Camp in Indonesia in November to show compassion for the people in needs with free eye operations and treatments.

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Participating in Eye Camp – Worth More Than Anything

Written by Lee Jeong-seok (Thick Plate – Team 1)

Being away from my everyday routine at the office was a new experience. When I started volunteering for Eye Camp, I worked in a sterilizing room next to an operating room, not in front of my PC and monitor. I was very confused in the beginning about my tasks but everything came in order as time went by.

The cataract operations our medical team provided on the site were operated through removing blurred crystalline lenses and replacing them with new ones. It is an outdated method but also, it was the best commitment we could do under the local circumstance.

By looking at the medical teams who were sincerely doing their jobs for the patients in desperation, my heart was overwhelmed with warmth and my sincerity for volunteering at this program grew even bigger.

Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity and is intended to promote good or improve human quality of life. As I participated in Eye camp, I learned that when you hope to do voluntary work for other people, you don’t need to be better than someone else. All you need is just a strong enough will for helping others.

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