Mão, Public sculpture at Memorial da América Latina, São Paulo, Brazil
Mão is a monumental concrete sculpture at the Memorial da América Latina cultural complex in the Barra Funda neighborhood of São Paulo. The hand rises from the plaza floor and displays an open palm with a red marking visible from several meters away.
Oscar Niemeyer created the seven-metre Mão in 1988 for the Memorial da América Latina, the complex he designed in São Paulo's Barra Funda district. The open hand, with Latin America in relief bleeding at the wrist, honours the region's struggles for freedom, sovereignty and social justice and refers to Eduardo Galeano's book Open Veins of Latin America. The monument is listed by the Monuments of São Paulo project.
The relief on the palm shows Latin America, with blood running from the wrist toward the fist, a reference to Eduardo Galeano's book Open Veins of Latin America. Niemeyer described the work as a tribute to the region's peoples and their struggles for freedom, sovereignty and social justice.
The sculpture stands on an open plaza within the complex and is best viewed during daylight when natural light highlights the surface details. Access is through the main entrance of the Memorial da América Latina, and the surrounding walkways are flat and easy to navigate.
The red shape is a relief map of Latin America, not a painted mark, with blood appearing to flow from the wrist. It refers to Eduardo Galeano's book Open Veins of Latin America. The sculpture stands seven metres tall.
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