Golden Art Cube in Central Park
An Artist Placed a Cube Made From $11.7 Million Worth of Gold in Central Park—Protected By Its Own Security Detail
Niclas Castello's The Castello Cube, made entirely from 24-carat, 999.9 gold and weighing 410 pounds, was installed in Central Park, New York for one day only, Wednesday, February 2, 2022. Photo by Sandra Mika.
Early today, joggers traversing New York's Central Park stumbled upon a remarkable spectacle—an eye-catching cube forged from 400 pounds (186 kilograms) of pure 24-karat gold. Crafted by German artist Niclas Castello, this conceptual sculpture, dubbed the "socle du monde" (base of the world) for our era, was rolled to the Naumburg Bandshell around 5 a.m.
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Despite not being available for purchase, the artwork's intrinsic value is roughly $11.7 million, based on the current gold price of $1,788 per ounce. Accompanied by a robust security detail, the 410-pound piece will grace the park's landscape until day's end.
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In a message conveyed to Artnet News, Castello characterized the work as a multi-dimensional conceptual masterpiece, striving to forge something that surpasses the tangible confines of our reality.
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True to the trends of 2022, an associated cryptocurrency, the Castello Coin ($CAST), has been launched alongside the physical sculpture. These tokens, priced at an initial €0.39 ($0.44) each, are available online, while an NFT auction is scheduled for February 21.
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Viennese gallerist Lisa Kandlhofer, present during the artwork's debut, noted that the golden cube serves as a bridge between the emergent crypto-based cultural ecosystem of the 21st century and the ancient domain where gold reigned supreme.
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The Castello Cube being cast in a foundry in Switzerland.
Castello's team revealed that the golden cube was meticulously cast at a specialized foundry in Aarau, Switzerland, requiring a bespoke kiln capable of withstanding both the gold's weight and extreme melting temperatures of up to 1100 degrees Celsius. The cube, measuring over 18 inches on each side, boasts a quarter-inch wall thickness.
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Following its brief public exhibition, the sculpture is set to grace a private dinner on Wall Street tonight, anticipated to be attended by numerous celebrities.
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Born in 1978 in East Germany, Castello currently resides between New York and Switzerland, and he's renowned for his sculptures and paintings that draw inspiration from artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. His latest work, in certain aspects, can be likened to Damien Hirst's iconic diamond-encrusted skull—a memento mori entwined with commentary on art's monetary entanglements.
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While the specifics of the sculpture's post-exhibition trajectory remain a well-kept secret, one certainty prevails—Central Park has just acquired a hefty dose of opulence.
Niclas Castello with his piece The Castello Cube in Central Park, New York. Photo by Sandra Mika.
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by Dorian Batycka | February 2, 2022 | News