The Hand

Here we are, in front of "The Hand", an iconic sculpture that emerges from the sand, with its five fingers rising on Brava beach in Punta del Este. We are specifically at stop 1, a place that has become a symbol of this tourist resort. This famous sculpture, known colloquially as "The Fingers" or "Man Emerging into Life", is one of Uruguay's most recognizable landmarks. It was completed in February 1982 by the Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal, who made it during the summer of that same year. Irarrázabal was the youngest of the nine sculptors attending the First International Meeting of Modern Outdoor Sculpture in Punta del Este. Originally, due to a dispute over assigned places in a public square, Irarrázabal decided to take his creation to the beach. Despite having the entire summer for the project, he completed the sculpture in just six days. It faced some minor delays due to the strong southwest wind so common in Punta del Este, but this did not prevent its quick execution. The fingers of the sculpture are made of plastic, reinforced with iron bars, metal lattice and coated with a degradation-resistant solvent. During that summer of 1982, sculptors from all over the world worked on their creations on the beach, but only Irarrázabal's work remains in this place...

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