$11.7 Million Gold Cube In Central Park Stirs Conflict Among Passersby
If you headed out for a stroll through Central Park in New York City yesterday, you could have chanced upon a rare sight: a cube made out of 186 kg (410 lbs) of pure 24-karat gold sitting on the snow.
The gold cube, which is said to be worth US$11.7 million, was actually a conceptual art piece by German artist Niclas Castello, who called it a “socle du mode” (base of the world) sculpture.
The hefty piece was reportedly cast at a foundry in Aarau, Switzerland, and required a specially-made kiln to accommodate its incredible size, with temperatures reaching up to 1100°C (2012°F).
Naturally, the highly valuable work wasn’t left unattended but was flanked by security guards on all sides, who stood out from the typical backdrop of the park.
Castello told Artnet News that the cube was “a conceptual work of art in all its facets,” and that he wanted to “create something that is beyond our world—that is intangible.”
Of course, as those familiar with the current art landscape would have suspected, the project comes with its own cryptocurrency alongside the physical piece.
The Castello Coin ($CAST) will be available online at €0.39 (US$0.44) each, with an NFT auction scheduled to take place on February 21.
“The cube can be seen as a sort of communiqué between an emerging 21st-century cultural ecosystem based on crypto and the ancient world where gold reigned supreme,” explained Lisa Kandlhofer, a Viennese gallerist present at the artwork’s unveiling.
However, as per MarketWatch, not everyone agreed with the display of the sculpture. Many noted that having an ostentatious gold cube sit in Central Park was in poor taste, particularly in contrast to the poverty and homelessness present in the area.
“The $11.7 million gold cube sitting in Central Park should be melted down and the proceeds should go to the poor and people without homes,” a user tweeted.
It’s unclear where the cube will head next once its temporary exhibition is over, though it may have very well left a sour taste in the mouth of some New Yorkers.
The $11.7 million gold cube sitting in Central Park should be melted down and the proceeds should go to the poor and people without homes.
— Really American 🇺🇸 (@ReallyAmerican1) February 3, 2022
RT IF YOU AGREE. https://t.co/AJeR0IrCn5
I had a friend who lived with his dog, Cookie, in the rock formations at Central Park. When Cookie got sick, there was only one vet who’d treat her for free, so every day he walked 100+ blocks to the Bronx because he couldn’t afford subway fare.
— Sarah McGonagall (@gothspiderbitch) February 3, 2022
But sure, let’s add a gold cube. https://t.co/ANbdpAyYJG
Okay but this legit sound like something an evil cartoon vilain would do ðŸ˜
— Mx. White (@Nayade_bleu) February 3, 2022
[via Artnet News and MarketWatch, images via various sources]
