If you have $45,000 to spare, we may have the perfect Christmas present for yourself or a loved one: an “authentic alien monolith,” just like those that have made the news worldwide in recent weeks. Yes, that’s 45 grand, it is not a typo.
In late November, the latest, highly unlikely viral star emerged: a triangle-shaped metal structure that would pop up and then disappear from usually-remote locations. Initially assumed to be of alien origin, the monolith was soon determined to be man-made – though this had little impact in terms of squashing UFO buzz.
As of the time of press, three such monoliths have gone viral: the original one, found in the red mountains of Utah, one in Piatra Neamt, Romania, and a third one on Atascadero’s Pine Mountain in California. Not one of them is still standing, having been removed, though not by whoever put them there.
And this brings us to the biggest mystery of all: who put those structures there? Was it aliens or was it some form of modern art? According to The Most Famous Artist (TMFA), it was art… of the alien type.
The Most Famous Artist is a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based art collective fronted by Matty Mo. Their artwork is best described as the paradox of our modern times: it only exists and has value when it’s online, so its primary focus is to be Instagrammable. The Most Famous Artist is now sort-of claiming the Utah monolith for their own, by selling facsimiles through a newly-set up website.
“We are pleased to offer a small group of collectors the opportunity to purchase an authentic alien monolith from the studio of ‘The Most Famous Artist,’” the ad reads, with our own emphasis. “Authentic dimensions and museum-quality materials. Edition of 3 + 1 artist proof. 10 feet [3-meter] tall. Delivery and installation included. Blockchain certificate of authenticity.”
You don’t get any refunds or exchanges, and with TMFA being known as an art collective specializing in pranks, to put it bluntly, you might not even get a monolith at all. What you do get, for sure, is the impression of being part of a worldwide movement, a meta experience with alien undertones, at a very steep price.
Matty Mo claims that he won’t confirm whether they’re behind the Utah monolith outright because “of legalities of the original installation,” and due to the pending investigation. But he’s been sharing photos hinting at it, including a render for the original installation dated August 2020.
This is perhaps the biggest clue to this being another prank. The Utah monolith was first observable on Google Earth in October 2016, which means it was erected there between that date and August 2015. If TMFA was working on the first renders for it in August 2020, they couldn’t have been the brains behind the original monolith. So maybe it was aliens, after all?
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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