Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal was asked by the townspeople to create a monument for the vast region of Atacama. And so he created the “Hand of the Desert,” protruding starkly from the sand and reaching for the brilliant blue sky.The larger-than-life hand towers an impressive 36 feet (11 meters). It’s taller than an NFL goal post and nearly as high as a yellow school bus is long. The nearest city of Antofagasta, still some 46-odd miles away, lays claim to the imposing structure.Financed by local organization Corporación Pro Antofagasta, the hand was constructed in 1992, from concrete and iron.The meanings of the monument are unknown. Some say it is meant to be a reminder that humans should be humbled by nature and the elements. Others are convinced it is a display of humans rising against the odds.
"Monument or mirage? Giant hand rises from the desert", Lucy Sherriff, CNN (Feb. 6, 2019).
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