La Mano (The Hand) is a sculpture in Punta del Este by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal. It depicts five human fingers partially emerging from sand …
It is also known as either Monumento al Ahogado (Monument to the Drowning Man), Los Dedos (The Fingers), or Hombre emergiendo a la vida(Man Emerging into Life). In English, it’s popular name is The Hand. …
While Irarrázabal had the entire summer to complete the project, he managed to finish in the first six days …
He later made near or exact replicas of the sculpture for the city of Madrid (in 1987), the Mano del Desierto (Hand of the Desert) in the Atacama Desert in Chile (1992), and in Venice (1995). …
I was surprised to find it directly across from the bus terminal. Not nearly as romantic a location as you’d guess from the photos.
Crowded most of the day, I went early morning to get the Hand to myself.
It’s deteriorating, as well. One day they’ll need do a restoration.
related – the Mano del Desierto located in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
