From a translucent plinth rises a bronze hand tinted like aged ivory, its open fingers gently cradling a vibrant yellow billiard ball, a surreal sun held in a dreamlike grasp. The inscription Man Ray below hints at the artist’s playful transformation of everyday objects into symbols of wonder, embodying his pioneering surrealist vision.

Man Ray, a key figure in Dada and Surrealism, explored the subconscious through diverse media. His early invention of the rayograph blurred photography and painting by placing objects directly on light-sensitive paper. Hands, often featured in his work, symbolized creativity, identity, and the intimate link between body and mind, becoming a recurring motif that captured the mysterious power of the unconscious.

This fascination culminated in Les Mains Libres in 1937, a collaboration with poet Paul Éluard combining Man Ray’s drawings with Éluard’s poems. The title, Free Hands, celebrates artistic freedom and the Surrealist ideal of spontaneous creation. Through this, Man Ray’s exploration of the hand as a symbol bridges the physical, poetic, and surreal, revealing his lasting impact on art’s expressive possibilities.