The Viral 'Central Park Gold Cube' Was An NFT Publicity Stunt Worth $11.7 Million

Two days ago, a mysterious gold cube appeared in New York City's Central Park, which was estimated by HypeBeast to weigh over 400 pounds and be worth roughly $11.7 million. The sculpture, now dubbed the Central Park Gold Cube, was created by German artist Niclas Castello, who falls under the umbrella of modern conceptual art.

Having been in Central Park for only a day or two, the cube is already receiving meme attention and massive interest online in recent days.

In an article from ArtNet, it's stated that the cube has special security and is also, as of February 4th, being stored in a building near Wall Street. But besides its physical location, ArtNet reported that Castello plans on making an accompanying NFT through his own cryptocurrency called "Castello Coin."

When the imagery and concept of the cube first broke on Twitter this week, meme creators hopped on, mostly joking about stealing the sculpture. Many online thought the security guards were hilarious, adding to the meme-worthy nature of it all. In fact, the proposed thievery from everyone got the attention of the developers behind the heist video game PAYDAY, who replied to the article via their Twitter.

Twitter users also referenced New York's increasingly complicated problem with homelessness. Many were provoked by the solid gold cube's symbolism in relation to this. Others doubted that the cube was even worth as much as ArtNet claimed it was, citing their own evidence and deductive reasoning. The hype and controversy surrounding the gold cube got so much attention that brands like Velveeta even joined in, putting their own giant mac 'n' cheese box in Central Park to rival the contemporary art.

Other backlash levied against the cube centered on its association with an upcoming NFT project. As more anti-crypto trends emerge like Screenshotting NFTs and NFT Stands For, the gold cube only added to this growing hatred. Many people wondered who would buy the JPEG of this gold cube. Others felt cheated for being a part of an NFT-based publicity stunt.

Besides also being smaller in person, the gold cube disappointed people in various ways. Compared to the precursor 2020 Metal Monoliths, this latest addition to the abstract, public art sphere wasn't nearly as mysterious.