Mano del Desierto

Coordinates: 24°09′30.01″S 70°09′23.56″W / 24.1583361°S 70.1565444°W / -24.1583361; -70.1565444 The Mano del Desierto is a large-scale sculpture of a hand located in the Atacama Desert in Chile, 75 km to the south of the city of Antofagasta, on the Panamerican Highway. The nearest point of reference is the "Ciudad Empresarial La Negra" (La Negra Business City). It lies between the 1309 and 1310 km marker points on the highway.

Description

The sculpture was constructed by the Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal at an altitude of 1,100 meters above sea level. Its exaggerated size is said to emphasize human vulnerability and helplessness.[1] The work has a base of iron and concrete, and stands 11 metres (36 ft) tall. Funded by Corporación Pro Antofagasta, a local booster organization, the sculpture was inaugurated on 28 March 1992.

It has since become a point of interest for tourists traveling Route 5, which forms part of the Pan-American Highway. It is an easy victim of graffiti and is therefore cleaned occasionally.

From Antofagasta, one can take Route 26 or Route 28, both of which connect to Route 5.

Panorama around Mano del Desierto

See also

  • Monumento al Ahogado ("The Hand"), another hand from the same artist, located on Parada 4 at Brava Beach in Punta del Este, a popular resort town in Uruguay.

References

  1. ↑ Manning, Katie (22 July 2011). "Keep Up the High Five: "La Mano Del Desierto"". El Observatodo.cl, Noticias de La Serena y Coquimbo. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
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