3m Metal Pillar Found Again in the UK... Debate Over Installation Art vs Alien Activity

A giant metal pillar was discovered on a hill in Wales, United Kingdom. This pillar is similar to the so-called 'Monolith' metal structures recently found around the world. However, it is still unknown who installed it and for what purpose.

A suddenly appearing 'Monolith' was discovered on a hill in Wales, UK. [Image source: Screenshot from Wales Online news coverage]

원본보기 아이콘

On the 12th (local time), British media including the BBC reported that an unidentified 'Monolith' was found on a hill near Hay-on-Wye, located on the border between England and Wales. Richard Haynes, the photographer who first discovered the pillar, said, "When I first found this pillar, I could not identify what it was," adding, "The pillar looked strange, and I thought it might be a scientific research device for collecting rainwater." He explained, "When I approached it, it was at least 3 meters tall and triangular in shape," and "It was made of stainless steel, hollow inside, and seemed quite light. It was light enough for two people to carry and plant into the ground."

Called a Monolith because it resembles the mysterious black stone 'Monolith' from Stanley Kubrick's 1968 sci-fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey, this metal pillar has been a major topic since similar structures started appearing worldwide four years ago. The Monolith was first discovered in November 2020 in the deserts of Utah and California, USA. These two structures are known to be works by an artist group called 'The Most Famous Artist.' The Monolith installed in Utah disappeared mysteriously just nine days after its discovery. Subsequently, a similar structure found in a field near the G?bekli Tepe archaeological site in Turkey, home to humanity's oldest known temple, was revealed to be a promotional installation ahead of the Turkish government's space program announcement. Aside from these cases, the installers and purposes remain unknown, leading to various speculations online. Some even suggest conspiracy theories such as "it is the work of aliens."

The monolith, first discovered in the Utah desert in the United States in November 2020, mysteriously disappeared just 9 days after its discovery. [Image source=Facebook capture]

원본보기 아이콘

Besides the aforementioned cases, similar structures were also spotted in Romania and Ukraine in 2020, and Monoliths appeared on the Isle of Wight and Cornwall in the UK. The Monolith found in Somerset, UK, bore the phrase "Not Banksy." Banksy is a contemporary artist famous for installing works criticizing modern society in various urban locations. This phrase seems to be a rebuttal to suspicions that the Monolith might be one of Banksy's works. Some criticism has arisen regarding illegal installations and environmental damage, and compared to the past, reactions to these installations have not been very favorable.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.