The Hand, Beach sculpture at Playa Brava in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

La Mano is a sculpture of five white fingers emerging from the sand at Parada 1 on Brava Beach in Punta del Este. The tallest fingers stand in the middle and right, with a short thumb-like piece on the left and a separate smaller fingertip on the right. Horizontal seams and minor surface wear are visible on the painted forms.

The artwork was created in 1982 by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal during the first international meeting of modern sculpture in open-air settings. It emerged during a time when art installations were increasingly being placed at natural sites like beaches to explore the relationship between art, humans, and the environment.

The sculpture represents the relationship between humans and the ocean, serving as a warning about the powerful waves at nearby La Barra beach. Many visitors see in the fingers a symbol of human aspiration and the desire to connect with nature.

The sculpture is located near the Parada 1 bus stop and is accessible at any time of day and in various weather conditions. Visitors can photograph from different angles, and should note that the area becomes busier during certain seasons.

Irarrázabal finished the piece in six days of the summer of 1982, though he had the whole season, and strong southwest wind slowed the work. Of the nine sculptors at the meeting, only his work still stands on the beach. In 2010 race organisers put a glove on the fingers for the Punta del Este Grand Prix.