Conspiration Internationale D'art
New Isle of Wight monolith adds extra dimension to terrestrial trend
© Caroline Russell/Facebook A reflective monolith is shown on Compton Beach on the U.K.'s Isle of Wight Monday, Dec. 7, 2020.
Another day, another strange monolith showing up out of nowhere — except this one has a point.
A fourth metallic structure has been discovered under mysterious circumstances in the United Kingdom, amid a viral trend that's looking less alien with each copycat case.
The new metal monolith was spotted on Compton Beach on the Isle of Wight on Sunday, BBC News reports. The object appears similar to the three-sided monoliths previously found in Utah, Romania and California, though it's slightly shorter and has a dramatic point at the top.
Read more: Third metal monolith discovered in California
The new object stands about 2.2 metres tall, making it smaller than the others, which measured about three metres in height.
Social media posts show the object had been hastily planted in the sand and supported by rocks in a seemingly slapdash effort to secure it on the uneven beach.
Wooden feet were visible beneath it, and it appeared to be listing to one side within a few hours of its discovery.
Tom Dunford, 29, told Sky News that he discovered the monolith early Sunday while walking his dog on the beach.
"It's really reflective," he told the news outlet. Dunford added that the object has attracted a lot of attention on the small island south of the U.K. mainland. Yet he's not worried that it'll attract extraterrestrial or otherworldly forces any time soon.
"It's someone playing a practical joke. I don't believe any of these conspiracy theories," he said.
Local Alexia Fishwick said she was "dumbstruck" when she discovered the object on the beach. She told BBC that the mirror-like monolith was "really quite magical" to witness up close.
The U.K.'s National Trust, which owns the site, says it's investigating the incident.
The monoliths have become a sudden viral fad since the first one was discovered in the Utah desert last month. The objects have frequently been compared to the alien monoliths in 2001: A Space Odyssey, which were used to accelerate the progress of Earth's civilization.
Unlike the 2001 monoliths, the 2020 ones appear to be designed for capturing attention on social media.
Utah state officials spotted the first object during a helicopter flyover near Moab, where it had apparently been in place for years. The mysterious object sparked wild speculation that it had been built by artists or aliens, and has since spawned a number of copycats.
It was reportedly removed overnight on Nov. 27 by a group of people who wanted to destroy it.
A second monument briefly appeared in Romania in late November. That monolith was similar in general size and shape to the original, although its surface was covered in markings and marred by crude welding mistakes. It also disappeared after a few days.
Video: Mysterious monolith discovered in Romania after similar structure disappears in Utah desert
A third monolith cropped up on a hilltop in California last week, with a design similar to the first.
Pranksters toppled the California object within 24 hours of its discovery.
Video: Another mysterious monolith appears in California
A collective called The Most Famous Artist has claimed credit for the two U.S. monoliths, though their claims have not been verified. The group says it will not speak to anyone except podcaster Joe Rogan.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Isle of Wight monolith.
The object was still in place Monday afternoon, according to users on a community Facebook group.
Another day, another strange monolith showing up out of nowhere — except this one has a point.
A fourth metallic structure has been discovered under mysterious circumstances in the United Kingdom, amid a viral trend that's looking less alien with each copycat case.
The new metal monolith was spotted on Compton Beach on the Isle of Wight on Sunday, BBC News reports. The object appears similar to the three-sided monoliths previously found in Utah, Romania and California, though it's slightly shorter and has a dramatic point at the top.
Read more: Third metal monolith discovered in California
The new object stands about 2.2 metres tall, making it smaller than the others, which measured about three metres in height.
Social media posts show the object had been hastily planted in the sand and supported by rocks in a seemingly slapdash effort to secure it on the uneven beach.
Wooden feet were visible beneath it, and it appeared to be listing to one side within a few hours of its discovery.
Tom Dunford, 29, told Sky News that he discovered the monolith early Sunday while walking his dog on the beach.
"It's really reflective," he told the news outlet. Dunford added that the object has attracted a lot of attention on the small island south of the U.K. mainland. Yet he's not worried that it'll attract extraterrestrial or otherworldly forces any time soon.
"It's someone playing a practical joke. I don't believe any of these conspiracy theories," he said.
Local Alexia Fishwick said she was "dumbstruck" when she discovered the object on the beach. She told BBC that the mirror-like monolith was "really quite magical" to witness up close.
The U.K.'s National Trust, which owns the site, says it's investigating the incident.
The monoliths have become a sudden viral fad since the first one was discovered in the Utah desert last month. The objects have frequently been compared to the alien monoliths in 2001: A Space Odyssey, which were used to accelerate the progress of Earth's civilization.
Unlike the 2001 monoliths, the 2020 ones appear to be designed for capturing attention on social media.
Utah state officials spotted the first object during a helicopter flyover near Moab, where it had apparently been in place for years. The mysterious object sparked wild speculation that it had been built by artists or aliens, and has since spawned a number of copycats.
It was reportedly removed overnight on Nov. 27 by a group of people who wanted to destroy it.
A second monument briefly appeared in Romania in late November. That monolith was similar in general size and shape to the original, although its surface was covered in markings and marred by crude welding mistakes. It also disappeared after a few days.
Video: Mysterious monolith discovered in Romania after similar structure disappears in Utah desert
A third monolith cropped up on a hilltop in California last week, with a design similar to the first.
Pranksters toppled the California object within 24 hours of its discovery.
Video: Another mysterious monolith appears in California
A collective called The Most Famous Artist has claimed credit for the two U.S. monoliths, though their claims have not been verified. The group says it will not speak to anyone except podcaster Joe Rogan.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Isle of Wight monolith.
The object was still in place Monday afternoon, according to users on a community Facebook group.
Monoliths: Why are mysterious monuments appearing across the globe?
Shiny pillars have been erected without explanation at sites across world
Zoe Tidman
Monoliths have popped up in surprising places over the past few weeks, with the most recent appearing on a beach on the Isle of Wight.
Several of these tall, shiny pillars have now been found at sites around the globe without warning or explanation since mid-November.
The first was discovered in the US, when a helicopter crew flying over a remote part of a Utah desert counting sheep spotted a strange statue below.
This metal monolith was found on 18 November and disappeared just as mysteriously as it appeared on 27 November.
Around the same time as the Utah one vanished, a shiny metal monolith appeared on the other side of the globe in the Romanian hillside.
California monolith emerges after Utah, Romania works exit
A shiny monolith has appeared on an Isle of Wight beach
(@AlexiaRFishwick via REUTERS)
However, when asked about the Isle of Wight structure, it said: “The monolith is out of my control at this point. Godspeed to all the aliens working hard around the globe to propagate the myth.”
The structures have sparked comparisons with the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, where an alien monolith is a recurring symbol that appears to play a role in the development of human evolution.
Bret Hutchings, a helicopter pilot who first spotted the Utah monolith, told local news station KSLTV he thought the structures could be from “a new wave artist” or someone who was a fan of the Stanley Kubrick film.
A monolith appeared in and disappeared from a Utah desert in November
(AP)
No one has claimed responsibility for the European monoliths.
Speaking about the Romanian monolith, the Piatra Neamt mayor Andrei Carabelea wrote on Facebook: “There is no reason to panic for those who think there is still life in the universe.”
“My guess is that some alien, cheeky and terrible teenagers left home with their parents' UFO and started planting metal monoliths around the world,” the mayor said. “First in Utah and then at Piatra Neamt. I am honoured that they chose our city.”
Speculation has also followed the disappearance of the US and Romanian monoliths.
A Colorado photographer told KSTU-TV that he saw four men come to the remote Utah site one night and push over the hollow, stainless steel object, saying “leave no trace” as they walked away.
Two extreme-sports athletes have claimed they were part of a group that tore down the hollow metal structure because they were worried about the damage the droves of visitors were causing to the relatively untouched spot.
A monolith stands on a Stadium Park hillside in Atascadero in California
(AP)
Officials said the visitors flattened plants with their cars and left behind human waste.
Meanwhile, authorities in the Californian city of Atascadero said its monolith had been torn down by a group of young men that traveled five hours in the middle of the night to remove it.
“We are upset that these young men felt the need to drive five hours to come into our community and vandalise the monolith,” Heather Moreno, the local mayor, said. “The monolith was something unique and fun in an otherwise stressful time.”
Additional reporting by agencies
New mysterious monolith appears on top of mountain in California
The structure disappeared several days after it was first spotted near the Petrodava Dacian Fortress, a local archaeological landmark in the northern Neamt country.
Shortly afterwards, a new monolith was spotted at the top of a mountain trail in southern California before it also vanished.
The Independent would like to keep you informed about offers, events and updates by email, please tick the box if you would like to be contacted
Then, over the first weekend in December, people stumbled across a tall shiny monolith on a beach on the Isle of Wight. The pillar was spotted on Compton Beach on the west side of the island.
Although it is has not been confirmed exactly who is responsible for the monoliths, an anonymous collective called The Most Famous Artist has taken credit for the Utah and California statues, and is selling three replicas for $45,000 (£34,000) each
The structure disappeared several days after it was first spotted near the Petrodava Dacian Fortress, a local archaeological landmark in the northern Neamt country.
Shortly afterwards, a new monolith was spotted at the top of a mountain trail in southern California before it also vanished.
The Independent would like to keep you informed about offers, events and updates by email, please tick the box if you would like to be contacted
Then, over the first weekend in December, people stumbled across a tall shiny monolith on a beach on the Isle of Wight. The pillar was spotted on Compton Beach on the west side of the island.
Although it is has not been confirmed exactly who is responsible for the monoliths, an anonymous collective called The Most Famous Artist has taken credit for the Utah and California statues, and is selling three replicas for $45,000 (£34,000) each
A shiny monolith has appeared on an Isle of Wight beach
(@AlexiaRFishwick via REUTERS)
However, when asked about the Isle of Wight structure, it said: “The monolith is out of my control at this point. Godspeed to all the aliens working hard around the globe to propagate the myth.”
The structures have sparked comparisons with the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, where an alien monolith is a recurring symbol that appears to play a role in the development of human evolution.
Bret Hutchings, a helicopter pilot who first spotted the Utah monolith, told local news station KSLTV he thought the structures could be from “a new wave artist” or someone who was a fan of the Stanley Kubrick film.
A monolith appeared in and disappeared from a Utah desert in November
(AP)
No one has claimed responsibility for the European monoliths.
Speaking about the Romanian monolith, the Piatra Neamt mayor Andrei Carabelea wrote on Facebook: “There is no reason to panic for those who think there is still life in the universe.”
“My guess is that some alien, cheeky and terrible teenagers left home with their parents' UFO and started planting metal monoliths around the world,” the mayor said. “First in Utah and then at Piatra Neamt. I am honoured that they chose our city.”
Speculation has also followed the disappearance of the US and Romanian monoliths.
A Colorado photographer told KSTU-TV that he saw four men come to the remote Utah site one night and push over the hollow, stainless steel object, saying “leave no trace” as they walked away.
Two extreme-sports athletes have claimed they were part of a group that tore down the hollow metal structure because they were worried about the damage the droves of visitors were causing to the relatively untouched spot.
A monolith stands on a Stadium Park hillside in Atascadero in California
(AP)
Officials said the visitors flattened plants with their cars and left behind human waste.
Meanwhile, authorities in the Californian city of Atascadero said its monolith had been torn down by a group of young men that traveled five hours in the middle of the night to remove it.
“We are upset that these young men felt the need to drive five hours to come into our community and vandalise the monolith,” Heather Moreno, the local mayor, said. “The monolith was something unique and fun in an otherwise stressful time.”
Additional reporting by agencies
No comments:
Post a Comment