German artist Michael Sailstorfer says it’s finders keepers, as soon as the tide is out.
If you happen to be in the UK and are anywhere near Folkestone, run, don’t walk, to the beach. You could make your fortune, as German artist Michael Sailstorfer has buried £10,000 in gold bullion for anyone to find. Once the sea is out at 4pm, it’s time to get digging.
The installation is part of Folkestone’s Triennial, a public art showcase that takes place every three years and which invites artists to use the town as their canvas. Sailstorfer’s installation is called Folkestone Digs, a title which ought to be self-explanatory.
“I think we might well have a lot of people,” says Triennial curator Lewis Biggs. “It is about people coming to the beach and digging and possibly finding hidden treasure. Some people will get lucky, some people will not get lucky – and that’s life.”
Each bar is stamped Made in London, and an individual bar – they come in different sizes – might be worth hundreds of pounds. Biggs hopes it will be considered as much a piece of art as a gold bar, and might tempt finders to keep it as a souvenir rather than take it straight to the pawnbroker. Metal detectors won’t be as useful as you’d hope; the organizers are one step ahead, and buried worthless metal washers out there too.
Sailstorfer, a Berlin-based artist, has chosen not to be in Folkestone for the great dig. Just as well; someone might have tried to kidnap him to get him to tell where the good stuff is. It’s expected that this event will stretch on beyond the Triennial, as it’s likely at least some of the gold won’t be found right away.
The images seen here are from other Triennial artists, as the great dig has yet to begin.
Source: Guardian
Published: Aug 28, 2014 01:10 pm