This Bronze Sculpture Was Attached To A Tree In 1968, Here’s How It Looks Now

Giuseppe Penone’s hand is so strong, it can squeeze trees. I’m talking about his bronze sculpture of a hand, of course. This Italian artist installed it onto a tree in Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, in 1968, and it’s even more spectacular after many decades have passed.

The “Continuerà a crescere tranne che in quel punto” (“It Will Continue to Grow Except at this Point”) was made from a cast of the artist’s actual hand and lower arm. Giuseppe attached in onto a sapling, and throughout the years the tree would thicken around the metal. Now, it looks like that hand is stretching the bark with its fingers.

“I feel the forest breathing, and hear the slow, inexorable growth of the wood,” Penone wrote in 1968. “I match my breathing to that of the green world around me, I feel the flow of the tree around my hand placed against the trunk.” It’s hard to know what impact the metal will have on the tree in the long run, but the contrast between cold metal and organic wood looks mesmerizing.

(h/t: demilked, juxtapoz)

Giuseppe Penone started this project in 1968

bronze-hand-sculpture-squeezing-tree-giuseppe-penone-1

This bronze sculpture was made from a cast of the artist’s actual hand

bronze-hand-sculpture-squeezing-tree-giuseppe-penone-2

And it’s still gripping!

bronze-hand-sculpture-squeezing-tree-giuseppe-penone-3

Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

Read less »

What do you think ?

POST

Yvonne Bernal 7 years ago

To me the most interesting part was the impressions from the fingertips. It actually gave the illusion of squeezing the trunk!

19points

Daria B 7 years ago

Same here. The fingertips really give the effect.

4points

Load More Replies...

Carol Ingraham 7 years ago

The impressions are from the tree growing over many years but it grows in different directions where the strength is needed.

2points

Rob LeBlanc 7 years ago

Perhaps because it is squeezing the trunk. ;)

2points

Quant 7 years ago

For those who are wondering why the tree hasn't grown more - this has to do with the fact that there is a bronze hand attached to it, strangling it. Had the "artist" taken his time during grade school biology classes he would immediately understand that this idea, while neat, is ultimately stupid, and damages a living being. It of course has a significant impact on the trees ability to grow. I strongly suggest looking up three words cambium, xylem, and phloem and suddenly everything will become clear as we begin to comprehend how new cells are created, vessels are build to take up nutrients and transport them around the tree.

13points

Jo Bertels 7 years ago

Why do you see barbwire grow into trees, who are completely around the tree, even more than this hands grip?

6points

Load More Replies...

Davide Basili 7 years ago

How was your salad today? Tasty?

5points

Dan Svoboda 7 years ago

you must be really fun at parties

5points

Karoh Valselob 7 years ago

Start a campaign against bonsai growing then

4points

Arty 7 years ago

I doubt the hand is really responsible...lots of trees grow in peculiar place and just grow around, develop bumps,...Of course it has an impact but very doubtfully the reason of the slow growth...

2points

Ema Meteš 7 years ago

If you had been in biology class you would have learned that the tree grows in height from his branches and not from the teunk that is why the hand has not moved.

1point

Blet Laswanga 1 year ago

It's just one tree soyboy

0points

Ryan Jackson 7 years ago

Not to mention all the trees around it are the same size. So with that I don't even think you know what you're talking about to begin with honestly.

0points

Ryan Jackson 7 years ago

Lol remember this was done in the 60's, I'm sure whatever year it was when this artist was in grade school, biology of a tree wasn't exactly a big subject to touch on. Sooo yeah the only way you can be serious is if you're stupid.

0points

Bo Kim 7 years ago

are u a vegan?

0points

Richard Petch 7 years ago

It could be the Bronze metal that has stunted it's growth, if you hammer copper nails into a ring around the trunk of a tree it WILL kill it.

0points

Jonathan Eatsalot 7 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Luna Clara 7 years ago

it started out similar to this contgrow02-big.jpg

9points

Load More Comments

POST

Yvonne Bernal 7 years ago

To me the most interesting part was the impressions from the fingertips. It actually gave the illusion of squeezing the trunk!

19points

Daria B 7 years ago

Same here. The fingertips really give the effect.

4points

Load More Replies...

Carol Ingraham 7 years ago

The impressions are from the tree growing over many years but it grows in different directions where the strength is needed.

2points

Rob LeBlanc 7 years ago

Perhaps because it is squeezing the trunk. ;)

2points

Quant 7 years ago

13points

Jo Bertels 7 years ago

Why do you see barbwire grow into trees, who are completely around the tree, even more than this hands grip?

6points

Load More Replies...

Davide Basili 7 years ago

How was your salad today? Tasty?

5points

Dan Svoboda 7 years ago

you must be really fun at parties

5points

Karoh Valselob 7 years ago

Start a campaign against bonsai growing then

4points

Arty 7 years ago

I doubt the hand is really responsible...lots of trees grow in peculiar place and just grow around, develop bumps,...Of course it has an impact but very doubtfully the reason of the slow growth...

2points

Ema Meteš 7 years ago

If you had been in biology class you would have learned that the tree grows in height from his branches and not from the teunk that is why the hand has not moved.

1point