A mysterious metallic monolith of unknown origin, the recent discovery of which in a desert in the western United States had fueled all manner of sci-fi-inspired speculation, has apparently evaporated, said on Saturday November 28 local authorities.
The announcement of this discovery quickly went viral on the internet.
@davidsurber_ / @davidsurber_ via REUTERS
Read also: United States: a mysterious metal "monolith" in the middle of the desert fuels fantasies
The Utah State Planning Bureau said on Saturday it had received "
credible testimony
" that the object had been removed "
by an unknown third party
" Friday evening November 27.
"
The office has not removed the structure, which is considered private property,
" he said in a statement.
"
We do not investigate crimes involving private property, which are the responsibility of the local sheriff's office,
" he adds.
The glittering triangular prism, which protruded more than 3.5 meters from the reddish ground of southern Utah, was discovered in mid-November by astonished local officials who were flying over the area to identify bighorn sheep. .
After landing their helicopter to investigate, these Utah Department of Public Safety employees discovered a "
metal monolith stuck in the ground,
" but were unable to find "
any clear indication of who might have placed the monolith
”.
This monolith generated a lot of interest
News of the discovery quickly went viral on the internet, with many noting similarities to the bizarre alien monoliths greatly accelerating humanity's progress in the sci-fi classic "
2001: A Space Odyssey
," a film by Stanley Kubrick and a novel by Arthur C. Clarke.
Others pointed out that the discovery came during a year in the news at least upset by the Covid-19 pandemic, hopefully hoping that the object could perhaps improve the situation.
"
It's the 'Restart' button
for 2020.
Can someone press it quickly?"
One Internet user joked on Instagram. "
Someone spent time using some rock-cutting tool or something like that to dig down, pretty much into the exact shape of the object, and l 'fitted really well
,' Nick Street, a spokesperson for the Utah Department of Public Safety, told The
New York Times
.
"
It's strange
"
,
he added
.
"
There are roads nearby, but bringing back the material to cut the rock, bringing back the metal, which is over 12 feet (3.70 meters) long - doing it all in this remote place, it's really exciting. .
"
A work by John McCracken?
Some observers have noted a resemblance to the avant-garde works of John McCracken, an American sculptor who lived for a time in neighboring New Mexico and died in 2011. His son, Patrick McCracken, recently told The
Times
that his father had told him in 2002 that he would like to leave “
his works in lost places to be discovered later.
"
Earlier this week, David Zwirner, John McCracken's legal representative, considered it possible that the mysterious monolith was the work of the artist.
"
The gallery is divided on the subject,
"
he said, telling himself
"
convinced
" that the monolith was indeed in the hand of John McCracken and that it would not have been discovered for nearly ten years. years. "
Who would have suspected that 2020 would bring us another surprise?
Just when we thought we had seen it all.
Let's go see what it is,
”he added.
Although the authorities refused to reveal the location of the monolith so as not to attract hordes of curious people, a race quickly started online to determine its location based on the geological formations around.
Some have managed to locate the site, to note the disappearance of the object, like David Surber.
"
Apparently the monolith disappeared
"
,
has he written on Instagram, rejoicing finally see "
something positive that can bring people together in 2020."