On May 13, a pair of god-like hands emerged from the canals of Venice, Italy.
Image from Lorenzo Quinn.
The building that the arms — which are an art installation titled "Support" — appear to be propping up is the historic Ca' Sagredo Hotel. The sculpture is on display as part of the 2017 La Biennale di Venezia, an annual art exhibition.
The sculpture is pretty magnificent and setting it up was a pretty big undertaking. Here's some of the incredible photos showing just what it took to get bring "Support" to life. (By the way, some of the Instagram pictures are actually videos. Be sure to hit play.)
"Support" was created by renowned artist Lorenzo Quinn.
Image from Lorenzo Quinn,
The hands were built off-site by Quinn and his team.
Just how big are they? One fingertip is the size of Quinn's head.
To get to their final display location, the hands were loaded on boats.
Image from Lorenzo Quinn,
What did you expect? This is Venice after all.
Navigating the narrow canals with the hands on board was no easy feat.
But they made it to Ca' Sagredo in one piece.
Image from Lorenzo Quinn,
Once there, cranes carefully maneuvered them into their final place against the hotel walls.
The hands symbolize humanity's power to reshape the world for good or ill.
On Instagram, Quinn wrote that he hopes "Support" will inspire people "to support this wonder of city that is threatened by climate change. I hope my art brings a new focus of attention to a global calamity that we are faced with. "
"The hand holds so much power — the power to love, to hate, to create, to destroy," said Quinn in a press release.
Venice is an amazing city, but it'll need people's support to survive into the future.
Image from Lorenzo Quinn,
"Venice is a floating art city that has inspired cultures for centuries," said Quinn. "But to continue to do so it needs the support of our generation and future ones, because it is threatened by climate change and time decay."
It's true. Climate change could end up sinking the historic city in less than a century — and Venice isn't the only city in this situation. In response, the city is currently working on a massive flood barrier.
Our history, and our future, truly is in our hands.
We just need to decide what we want to do with them.
By the way, if you want a hands-on project of your own, you can always plant a tree, pen a letter to Congress, or volunteer with your local museum or historical society. Just a thought!