Somewhere in the Atacama Desert of Chile lies an astonishing monument “Mano del Desierto”, or the Hand of the Desert. At first glance, it seems to be a science-fiction item, but actually, it is a 36-foot-high sculpture.
However, “Mano del Desierto” is a symbol of the contrasting ideas, which show how small, helpless, and stranded humans are. The Chilean artist Mario Irarrazabal has created this massive hand sculpture popular in his domain of sculpting hand-made things. Weird as they may seem, his efforts are acclaimed all over the world due to the innovation and emotion they express.
The nearest town to this monument is Antofagasta, around 75 km away. Nonetheless, visitors are crazy to see this marvelous effort by Mario Irarrazabal, and it has caught surprise popularity throughout the year. Irarrázabal used the human figure to express emotions like injustice, loneliness, sorrow, and torture, and it is an easy victim of graffiti and is therefore cleaned occasionally.
However, it was built nearly 25 years ago, on March 28, 1992, and it seems as if it was made of sand. The sculpture is very resistant. The local organization “Corporation Pro Antofagasta” supports the construction of Hand, made of iron and cement. It’s a must-visit place that can be visited any time of year.
His other popular works include an oversized sculpture exploring the same idea, named “Monument to the Drowned,” located on Parada 4 at Brava Beach in Punta del Este, a famous resort town in Uruguay.
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