Visitors to New York City's Central Park on February 2, 2022, may have spotted something glimmering among the bare trees: A 400-pound solid-gold cube! German artist Niclas Castello raised the money to fund the sculpture, above, which he made out of about $11.7 million worth of gold. He announced the one-day-only display of The Castello Cube in a massive ad in The New York Times, right. The cube, which had its own security, attracted crowds. But it also drew criticism over its cost, its accessibility, and the artist’s motives.
To make the gold object seem exotic and rare, Castello only displayed it to the public for one day. He hoped to “create something that is beyond our world—that is intangible,” the artist said. Because of the short time it was on display, only a small group of people who’d heard about the artwork via the news, social media, or word of mouth—or who just happened upon it—had the opportunity to see it in person.
Some of those who caught a glimpse were mesmerized by the reflections in its golden surface and the contrast with the surrounding slushy snow. They considered it a beautiful work of art. Others were disappointed by the cube’s small size—about 18 inches per side. They found it underwhelming compared with its flashy marketing campaign and high price tag.
Castello’s work has sparked a discussion about whether it was responsible of him to use such a huge sum of money to make a small object that so few got to see.