Niclas Castello, German artist unveiled an $11.7 million “Gold Cube” in Central Park Goes Viral
3 min read
A cryptocurrency is being launched alongside the physical artwork by German artist Niclas Castello.
The Central Park joggers may have seen a curious sight this morning while walking through the park. A cube made from 186 kilograms of pure 24-karat gold was conceived by the German artist Niclas Castello. It was wheeled out to the Naumburg Bandshell this morning at approximately 5 a.m. The sculpture is being billed by Castello as the “Socle du Monde” (base of the world) for the 21st century.
While the work is not for sale, based on today’s gold price of $1,788 per ounce. Its material worth is around $11.7 million, according to the artist’s team. The 410-pound work will be displayed in the park until the end of the day, surrounded by heavy security detail.
Niclas Castello, German artist unveiled an $11.7 million “Gold Cube” in Central Park Goes Viral pic.twitter.com/m9ZgyUoHEo
— TheRecentTimes (@Recent_Times) February 4, 2022
“A Conceptual Work Of Art In All Its Facets”
Advertisement
Artnet News today received a message from Castello describing the work as a “conceptual work of art.”
He explained that the aim was to create something “beyond our world, something intangible.”
The physical artwork will be accompanied by an accompanying cryptocurrency. An accompanying NFT auction will be held on 21 February. It is to accompany the sale of the Castello Coin, traded as $CAST.
As the artwork was launched in New York, Viennese gallerist Lisa Kandlhofer, who was at the artwork’s launch. He says that the cube represents a new cultural ecosystem based on cryptocurrency and the ancient world of gold.
— TheRecentTimes (@Recent_Times) February 4, 2022
What Is The Golden Cube-like?
A kiln was needed to melt the gold at a temperature of 1100 degrees Celsius due to the size and volume of the golden cube. A foundry in Aarau, Switzerland, had cast the golden cube. A special kiln meant to melt gold at that temperature was required. A quarter-inch thick wall encloses the cube, which measures over a foot and a half on all sides.
A number of celebrities are said to attend a private dinner on Wall Street later tonight, where the sculpture will be displayed.
Who is Niclas Castello?
Nicas Castello is a sculptor and painter living between New York and Switzerland. Like many other artists, has been influenced by artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. The imagery of Castellotti’s previous works is heavily influenced by pop culture.
The artist’s cube is, in some respects, similar to Damien Hirst’s diamond-encrusted, which simultaneously comment on the tangle of money and capital.
As an art form or Piero Manzoni’s tongue-in-cheek satire Artist’s Shit (1961) which sold the artist’s feces for its gold weight.
That information has been kept under wraps by the artist’s team. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: Central Park is looking much blingier now.
Ankita Khanrah
Ankita Khanrah is a second-year student of the Master of Communication and Journalism (Integrated) programme at the School of Mass Communication, KIIT Deemed University, Bhubaneswar.
