The Hand of God
This unrealized art project from 2005 involves casting the left hand of Escolastico Berto Mendez; a famous Diego Maradona look-a-like who has sacrificed his own identity to make a living being photographed around Buenos Aires suburb La Boca.
During the World Cup 1986 Diego Maradona scored an infamous handball goal to eliminate the English team, only to later attribute his own deed to The Hand of God. Maradona’s popularity in Argentina is since undisputed, with the Church of Maradona boasting +20.000 members.
An upturned hand could be interpreted as a gesture of generosity, yet simultaneously it could signal a cry for help. The joy that Maradona has given the Argentinean people is on one level countered by the fringe existence of somebody like Escolastico. On another level, this hand would symbolize the financial and political unrest that has plagued the country for many years. The cast hand should be gold plated bronze, gold being the third most valuable of all metals, and Escolastico himself being two steps removed from God.
The Hand of God
This unrealized art project from 2005 involves casting the left hand of Escolastico Berto Mendez; a famous Diego Maradona look-a-like who has sacrificed his own identity to make a living being photographed around Buenos Aires suburb La Boca.
During the World Cup 1986 Diego Maradona scored an infamous handball goal to eliminate the English team, only to later attribute his own deed to The Hand of God. Maradona’s popularity in Argentina is since undisputed, with the Church of Maradona boasting +20.000 members.
An upturned hand could be interpreted as a gesture of generosity, yet simultaneously it could signal a cry for help. The joy that Maradona has given the Argentinean people is on one level countered by the fringe existence of somebody like Escolastico. On another level, this hand would symbolize the financial and political unrest that has plagued the country for many years. The cast hand should be gold plated bronze, gold being the third most valuable of all metals, and Escolastico himself being two steps removed from God.