Work similar to 2020 monolith that first appeared in Utah, USA, surfaces in Mumbai after surprising 20 countries; local officials say it is likely an artwork for environment conservation
The installation in Joggers Park, Bandra, on Wednesday. Pic/Shadab Khan
An upright metal slab landed overnight in the middle of the Joggers Park in Bandra, igniting curiosity among citizens on Wednesday amid reports of mysterious monoliths appearing and disappearing in many countries. Despite feeding people’s imaginations with theories spun the role of aliens to creativity, the monoliths are actually a piece of artwork with a message.
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The 7-foot-tall metal slab in Bandra Jogger’s Park on Wednesday. Pic/Shadab Khan
The 7-foot-tall structure with a width of 16 inch in the Bandra appears to pitch for saving wildlife. Before Mumbai, a similar metal column had surfaced in Ahmedabad in January.
Throwing more light on the monolith, which weighs nearly 150 kg, Bandra corporator Asif Zakaria said, “While some say that these are works of art with a similar movement arising in the 1960s, others have also said that these are from a variety of different artists and sci-fi lovers across the world. The monolith in Mumbai does provide some clues as to what this one may represent.”
Zakaria said there are numbers etched on one of the panels of the monolith, something only an astute viewer will notice. The numbers provide latitudes and longitudes of national parks across India, giving an indication that the artwork might be conveying a message for protection of wildlife.
The geographical coordinates are of Jawai Bandh Leopard Conservation Reserve, Ranthambore National Park, Jim Corbett National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Kanha National Park, Sundarbans National Park, Bandipur National, Periyar National Park, Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary and Pench National Park, said the corporator.
The numbers etched on the monolith match with latitudes and longitudes of Indian national parks
While the artist behind the Mumbai monolith remains anonymous, it seems to be the creation of a prominent sculptor from Ahmedabad. She has a passion for creating large stainless steel figures with close ties to the natural world, said Zakaria, adding that he had requested an artist to find out how it came up inside the Bandra park and till when it will stay there.
The monolith mania first took the internet by storm after a slab emerged in a remote canyon in Utah, US. Subsequently, these metal sheets have been found in over 30 countries including Romania, France, Germany, Canada and Australia.
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