A statue of a hand in the desert. Giant hand "mano de desierto" in the atacama desert, chile
The other day, a pair of hands appeared from a canal in Venice, as if supporting the walls of the Ca 'Sagredo Hotel. This is an installation by Italian artist Lorenzo Quinn, who wanted to make a visual statement about the impact of climate change and sea level rise in the famous historic city.
Quinn isn't the only one using his hands to convey a powerful message to the viewer. We invite you to take a look at other huge installations with hands that can be seen in different parts of the world.
"Hand of the Desert" (Mano del Desierto), Atacama Desert, Chile
Perhaps one of the most famous hand sculptures is the Desert Hand in the middle of the Atacama Desert, located 75 kilometers south of Antofagasta.
The artwork was created by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal to commemorate the victims of injustice and torture during the military regime in Chile. The concrete structure rises 11 meters above the desert.
Photo: Juan Eduardo Donoso Rosas / Flickr
"Hand of Punta del Este" del Este), Uruguay
The Mano de Punta del Este is another sculpture of the hand of the Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal located in the popular resort town Punta del Este in Uruguay. The sculpture was opened in the summer of 1982 and has since become a symbol of the city and one of the most recognizable landmarks in Uruguay.
Over the years, the sculpture has been called differently: "The Birth of a Man" ("Emergiendo a la Vida"), "Monument to the Drowning Man" ("Monumento al Ahogado"), although the creator prefers to be called simply "The Hand".
Photo: Vince Alongi / Flickr
Photo: Josué Gómez / Flickr
Praying Hands, Tulsa, USA
This pair of hands folded in prayer can be seen at the entrance to the Oral Roberts University campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. Rising 60 feet (18.29 m) and weighing 30 tons, she is the largest bronze sculpture in America.
Photo: Jeffkao / Flickr
Photo: Joseph Novak / Flickr
Hand of Harmony, Cape Homi, South Korea
The Hand of Harmony is a hand sculpture located on Homigot Beach, one of the easternmost points of the Korean peninsula. The bronze and granite sculpture was created in 1999.
photo: jeito / Panoramio
photo: Cranky / Panoramio
Giant hand in Bandung, Indonesia
This huge steel sculpture of a hand is located at the gate of Setraduta, residential complex upper class in the north of Bandung, Indonesia. It was created by Nyoman Nuarta, one of the most famous and prolific Indonesian contemporary sculptors.
photo: theartstack.com
Holocaust Memorial, Miami, Florida, USA
At the Holocaust Memorial in Miami, Florida, there is a 12-meter sculpture of a hand reaching up to the sky, and hundreds of small human figures cling to it and to each other. The sculpture was created by architect Kenneth Treister.
Photo: Dennis Goedegebuure / Flickr
Photo: Scurzuzu / Flickr
Hands & Molecule, Ramsgate, Kent, UK
A pair of 8 feet (2.44 m) hands emerging from the ground and holding a molecule are located at Westcliff Promenade, in Ramsgate, Kent, UK.
The sculpture was funded by David Barnes and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. It was unveiled to the public in June 2000 to celebrate the opening of Route 15 of the National Cycle Network in Thanet, Kent.
Photo: John Sheldon / Flickr
The Hand, Madrid, Spain
This sculpture, created in 1987, is the second giant hand made by Mario Irarrázabal. It is located in the Parque Juan Carlos I in Madrid, and is similar to the original sculpture in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
Photo: Camilo Rueda López / Flickr
And finally giant hands in Venice
The giant hands on Venice's Grand Canal is the last hand sculpture presented to the world. This is not a permanent installation - it will remain in this place until the end of November. We talked about it in more detail
Traveling through South America, in particular, in the Atacama Desert, located in Chile, right among the sands you can see a giant hand and do not pour water on yourself thinking that this is a hallucination, the hand will not disappear. After all, this is not a mirage at all, then maybe this is the hand of a giant who died from the heat in the desert and was covered with sand, and only his hand remained on the surface? But no! This sculpture was created by the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrazabal. 
The reinforced concrete sculpture is called "Mano de Desierto" and is 11 meters high. The construction in 1992 was financed by the Corporación Pro Antofagasta corporation. According to the sculptor, his creation shows how helpless and vulnerable a person is before the power of nature. The Chilean Atacama Desert is considered the hottest on Earth and not everyone who dared to overcome it on foot survived, so the Atacama Desert is called the Valley of Death. Those who decide to go here on an excursion are advised to bring plenty of water and sunscreen. 
This attraction has become so popular that locals and tourists often decorate it with various inscriptions and graffiti. It's good that the sculpture is well looked after, periodically erasing all the inscriptions.
The sculpture "Hand of the Desert" is located 75 kilometers south of the Chilean city of Antofagasta; you can get to it either by a rented car or with an excursion group. Although you can get there by passing cars, especially since the giant hand is located just a few hundred meters from the Pan-American Highway and it is simply impossible not to notice it.
Chile's Atacama Desert is the hottest in the world. Its sun-scorched sands stretch for hundreds of kilometers on both sides of the world's longest Pan American Highway, and this dead zone the very minimal human presence seems to be excluded. However, completely unexpectedly, the monotonous landscape is disturbed by the structure, which clearly indicates that a person was here.
The Desert Hand is a monumental sculptural image of a hand located in the Atacama Desert, Chile, 75 km south of the city of Antofagasta. It is difficult to answer the question of what the author of the composition wanted to say - the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrazabal, erecting a huge hand in the middle of the desert, sticking out 11 meters from the sand. Only one thing is clear - an unusual phenomenon that appears like a mirage in the desert in front of amazed drivers can shake them from the monotony of the road and give food for thought for the next several hundred kilometers.
general information
A huge hand directed to the sky appears in front of people passing by like a mirage. She prompts thoughts about the unfortunate giant, covered with the sands of the merciless desert. One gets the impression that a creature buried underground is asking for help. The author wanted to create a colorful symbol of human insecurity and powerlessness in front of omnipotent nature. A giant hand in the desert is the only thing that reminds of life in the uninhabited expanses of the Atacama. Having covered several kilometers along the desert landscapes, one can involuntarily think about how insignificant and short our existence is.
The sculpture serves as a famous filming location. The hand of the desert is found in many commercials and music videos. Tourists often leave inscriptions on it, so it has to be constantly cleaned. The organization "Union for Antofagasta" took care of the monument. Its participants keep it in proper form and ask not to decorate the hand with various drawings. This initiative is supported by the regional authorities - in 2013, together with representatives of the Chilean Ministry of Tourism, an action was organized to cleanse the sculpture.
The Hand in the Desert is located 75 km south of Antofagasta near the Pan-American Highway. It is quite difficult to get lost here, since the massive structure can be seen from afar - it is located to the right of the road.
The easiest way to get here is with a group of tourists, by a passing car or by a rented car. It is highly discouraged to cover a huge distance on foot. The Atacama Desert has one of the driest and hottest climates in the world. When you decide to go here, do not forget to take care of your provisions in advance. After leaving settlement you will not be able to purchase the items you need. It is imperative to take a sufficient amount of water and food. The importance of have sun protection means - a hat, an umbrella, a cream with a UV filter.
Video: Music video on the background of the hand of the desert
Giant hand is in Atacama Desert... The desert itself is located in Chile and is considered the hottest in the world; rain is very rare here. It seems that a human foot has not entered for many kilometers, but there is an unusual sculpture 11 meters high!
See also Giant Hand in the Atacama Desert video
Giant hand of five fingers and a part of the palm rises above the sand and decorates the desert. And this masterpiece appeared Atacama Desert in 1992. The creator was the sculptor Mario Irarrazabal. It is interesting that the nearest city of Antofagasta is 75 kilometers from the sculpture and the place is quite dry. The foundation of the hands in a desert of their cement and iron.
The Chilean sculptor embodied themes such as sadness, loneliness and injustice in his creations. So the giant hand has found its place in Atacama Desert... What exactly wanted to show Mario is unknown and it remains a mystery.
Once near, it all seems mystical. Hand made of sand as if a giant fell into the sand and asks for help ... In any case, meeting with a hand made of sand, it will remain in your memory for a long time, and thinking about it will accompany you for hundreds of kilometers.
See more Giant Hand in the Atacama Desert photos
