A new statue of a giant hand in Wellington has terrified and confused the Internet. And rightfully so.
Australia may have the Big Banana and the Big Pineapple, but New Zealand has “Quasi” the Giant Hand Face Man Overlord. So who’s the real winner here?
The massive five-metre tall statue is made of polystyrene and resin, and stands on two fingers with a nightmare-inducing face in the palm.
The giant hand was created by artist Ronnie van Hout, and originally stood on top of the Christchurch Gallery.
But Quasi the giant hand-man overlord wanted a sea change, so he now resides at Wellington City Gallery where he terrifies a whole new crowd.
Lara Strongman, the head curator at Quasi’s old gallery said that he was a definite talking point in Christchurch during his time at the gallery.
“I’ve noticed that people tend to have a strong point of view about the work, which is great,” she said.
Hout is renowned for his surrealism works that often appear very serious.
Quasi stares down at the city with his creepy palm face, silently judging the residents of Wellington.
Oh, and did I mention this beast weighs a whopping 400kg???? Enjoy that nightmare of a giant hand man squishing you like a bug. You’re welcome.
As expected, a giant hand man couldn’t be erected without Twitter going absolutely wild.
We’re oficially in Spy Kids pic.twitter.com/j2vIw7obyY
— Juan is building an MVP 🌱 (@timrodz) August 19, 2019
https://twitter.com/_Finn____/status/1163339616348327936
Literally just moved to Wellington from Chch. I feel like it’s haunting me
— Holly Hart (@hollyhosh) August 19, 2019
i love and respect the large hand
— henry cooke (@henrycooke) August 19, 2019
I think I’ve decided that I love Quasi. He’s a little creepy and weird and I’m quite content admiring him from a safe distance, but I think he’s nice.
Quasi can call Wellington home for up to three years. Then who knows! The world is his oyster. I just REALLY hope he doesn’t move to Melbourne.
