Are they some kind of coded message from alien life forms? Or are the mysterious monoliths appearing across the world a form of “rogue art” as some people have been describing them?
While 2020 definitely had its share of strange occurrences, the monoliths rank high on the list. They started appearing worldwide late in the year, with the first found in a remote canyon in Utah. The almost 10-foot tall triangular prism made of sheet metal was apparently erected sometime in 2016 prior to being discovered in November 2020. Since that time, several more of unknown origins have appeared across several continents, including Europe, Asia, and South America.
North America has seen additional monoliths appear since the Utah sighting. Toronto, Canada has seen mysterious monoliths come and go, most recently on Dec. 31, 2020, which was vandalized with graffiti reportedly containing hate speech and promptly removed by the city. Other strange monoliths appeared across North America recently, including an edible gingerbread version in San Francisco that toppled over.
But what is the meaning of these mysterious monoliths? They may just be a copycat of the original Utah structure, but the rogue artist “Banksy” nature of them (with sculpture in place of graffiti) might be attractive to collectors. While Bansky’s work has previously been put on the auction block for six figures (he apparently doesn’t earn money from his street art, but rather earns book royalties), there are reports of “stunt artists” selling them.
Is a Rogue Artist Collective Responsible?
While news reports don’t pin any artist names on the monoliths, there is a group called The Most Famous Artist posting about them. The founder of the group, Matty Mo, told Mashable in December that the group is not confirming or denying being responsible for creating the structures (citing legal reasons.) “I can say we are well known for stunts of this nature and at this time we are offering authentic art objects through monoliths-as-a-service,” he told the site through a Twitter DM. “I cannot issue additional images at this time but I can promise more on this in the coming days and weeks.”
As of Jan. 6, 2021, the site featured a 10-foot “Authentic Alien Monolith” selling for $45,000 that comes with a Blockchain certificate of authenticity. (The site notes that is “sold out.”)
Will We Decode the Mysterious Monoliths?
Whether this studio is behind the new ones (or even the “older” ones) popping up is anyone’s guess, but so far, there are no reports of anyone else selling them. It remains to be seen whether these mysterious monoliths are rogue art, or if aliens are trying to somehow communicate with Earth.
Either way, they have provided a welcome distraction to the current uncertainty in the world and created discussion, which is the goal of any art.
