BITS ‘N’ PIECES
Narrated Abu Huraira (R.A):
Allah’s Apostle (S.A.W) said, “Not to wish to be the like of except two men: A man whom Allah has taught the Qur’an and he recites it during the hours of the night and during the hours of the day, and his neighbor listens to him and says, ‘I wish I had been given what has been given to so-and-so, so that I might do what he does; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it on what is just and right, whereupon an other man may say, ‘I wish I had been given what so-and-so has been given, for then I would do what he does.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 544
La Mano del Desierto, a canceled factory sculpture, became an iconic desert landmark.
Rising dramatically from the vast emptiness of Chile's Atacama Desert is an enormous hand seemingly reaching out from beneath the earth - La Mano del Desierto or The Hand of the Desert. Located about 75 kilometres south of Antofagasta, this sculpture was created by Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrázabal in 1992.
The Hand of the Desert sculpture was commissioned by a local cement company to sit out the front entrance to their plant in Los Andes, Chile. Irarrázabal got to work with his designs, but the company went bankrupt shortly after, and the project was scrapped. Still, Irarrázabal loved the concept. Not ready to give up, he reached out to some engineer friends who excitedly jumped on board. Funding was next, which came from the Corporación Pro Antofagasta, a local organisation that supports the development of Chile’s Antofagasta region.
The 36-foot (11-meter) sculpture was built on-site in the middle of the desert, using scaffolding and concrete poured in stages over a reinforced iron framework. The whole process took several weeks, with crews carefully shaping each finger and contour by hand. Its size and isolation make it impossible to miss, and over the years, it has become a popular stop for travellers and photographers exploring the Pan-American Highway.
Beyond its artistic brilliance, La Mano del Desierto carries strong symbolic weight. Irarrázabal designed the sculpture to convey themes of human vulnerability, isolation, and helplessness. The hand, partially submerged, can be seen as a metaphor for those who suffer or disappear without trace - particularly poignant in Chilean history, given the human rights abuses during the Pinochet dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s. It evokes a silent cry for help, a gesture of mourning, or even a symbol of protest. The fact that it stands alone in one of the driest and most inhospitable places on Earth amplifies this emotional resonance.
Although originally intended as a temporary art installation, the hand quickly gained popularity and became a permanent fixture, maintained by a local organisation. It has since drawn not only art enthusiasts but also those with an interest in political history, psychology, and the power of public monuments.
Over time, the sculpture has become a canvas for graffiti - despite requests to preserve its original form. While some see this as disrespectful, others interpret the ever-changing markings as part of the sculpture’s life, reflecting the voices and presence of those who pass through the desert. It stands as a reminder that even in the loneliest places, humanity leaves a mark.