Artist exhibits 12 million franc cubes in the middle of Zurich
186 kilos of pure gold to touch!
To touch, but not to take away: The largest gold cube in the world was forged in Switzerland. The brilliant work of art Niclas Castello (44) comes to Zurich for a day under high security measures.
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The largest gold cube in the world: the work of art weighs 186 kilograms made of pure 24-carat gold.
You can’t carry it away, but you can touch it! The world’s largest gold cube, worth over 12 million Swiss francs, is coming to Zurich: the “Castello Cube” will be on the Rathausbrücke all day on Thursday, September 22nd. Until then, the artwork by Niclas Castello (44) will remain hidden in a secret place in the Swiss mountains.
Pure gold: The Castello Cube as part of the Venice Biennale.
For security reasons, the artist cannot say anything more specific about the whereabouts. He is delighted that the cube is being exhibited in Switzerland: “After all, it was born and manufactured here.” Converting 186 kilograms of pure 24k gold into a cubic shape was a challenge. The Rüetschi bell foundry in Aarau was able to do this thanks to its many years of know-how.
Art not for sale
The cube measures 50 by 50 by 50 cm, the walls are 6.3 mm thick. “Until now, no one has worked so much gold into a work of art,” says Castello. It was important that the walls remain stable, the cube is hollow on the inside, otherwise the material costs would be unaffordable. So far, more than 4,500 hours of work have been invested in the cube, together with the current price of gold this gives a material value of only 12.2 million francs, the estimated price as a work of art is 70 to 80 million francs. “But the Cube remains unsaleable,” says Castello. “My goal is that it will be seen all over the world.”
Niclas Castello is behind the brilliant work of art.
In February, the gold cube first appeared in New York’s Central Park, then at the Venice Biennale. “It’s fascinating how people react to it. Gold has a strong symbolism in our culture, from the ancient Egyptians to wedding rings,” says Castello. Because the gold is relatively soft, the cube’s own weight will take the imprints from the ground it’s standing on. The artist hopes that the Cube will soon be in a museum. “There we would turn it over so that the traces of its journey around the world can be seen.” After Zurich, another campaign is planned in Europe, after which the cube will go on a world tour.
gold in the open air
Thanks to a new security concept supported by the city of Zurich, the gold cube can be admired and touched in the open air. Anyone who wants to see the luster of so much gold has the opportunity to do so on Thursday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The artist is also on site: “I never take my eyes off the cube.”
