A giant metal monolith spotted in a remote part of southern Utah, United States, has become the source of numerous conspiracy theories about its origin.
The structure was first spotted by a helicopter pilot and wildlife officers who were flying above the area for their annual count of the bighorn sheep in the state, The Guardian reported. Pilot Bret Hutchings, who examined the monolith closely, said that it could possibly be the work of an artist.
“I’m assuming it’s some new wave artist or something or, you know, somebody that was a big (2001: A Space Odyssey) fan,” Hutchings told KSLTV.
Art critics have also speculated that if the monolith is an artwork, it could belong to, or be inspired by, minimalist artist John McCracken, who died in 2011. McCracken’s work is represented by the David Zwirner Gallery, The New York Times reported. “The gallery is divided on this,” Zwirner reportedly said in a statement. “I believe this is definitely by John.”
“Who would have known that 2020 had yet another surprise for us. Just when we thought we had seen it all. Let’s go see it,” he added in the statement.
With no clear details of its origin, speculations continue to rain on social media. The most popular comparison has been drawn to similar structures that were part of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The US Bureau of Land Management, which owns the land, declined to comment on its investigation of the matter, news agency Reuters reported.
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