It wasn t until Nov. 18 of this year that the first monolith, a three-sided stainless steel structure built and installed by an unidentified individual or group, was discovered in a remote canyon. Spotted by The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources as they surveyed bighorn sheep by helicopter, the monolith sparked a phenomenon.
While itâs unknown when the prismatic structure was originally installed, satellite imagery proves it appeared between Aug. 2015 and Oct. 2016. A Dutch journalist later narrowed the timeframe down to between July 7 and Oct. 21, 2016.
Some in the art community believe it is a work of art by the late John McCracken â including his own gallerist, David Zwirner. McCracken, who was active from the early 1960s until his death in 2011, is most known for his minimalistic geometric sculptures that were both free-standing and leaned up against walls.Â
If you’re keeping score at home of the number of mysterious monoliths to appear around the world in the past month (and if you’re not, what are you doing to pass the time during the pandemic shutdown – the rest of us want to know!), the total has reached 66 and counting. That tally includes multiple monolith appearances in California (the U.S. leader with 9), the U.K. (6), the Netherlands (4), France (4) and Belgium (2). (Photos of the better-known ones here.) If you go by continents, none have been reported so far in Asia, Africa and Antarctica. While some are still standing, many have disappeared almost as fast as they were found. Most have obvious signs that they’re manmade, with at least two sources offering to sell them. However, none (so far) can top the strangeness meter like the latest monolith discovered in Australia – the first on that continent and the only one with cryptic engraving. Can we finally say “It’s aliens!”?