By Carol Tannenhauser
On Wednesday morning, a German artist placed a cube composed of 400 pounds of pure 24-karat gold, valued at around $11.7 million, in front of the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, artnet.com reported.
On Friday, WSR is happy to report that it has been replaced by a rectangle of unknown weight and composition. Value: around $4.95 per two-pound box.
But is it real? Is Velveeta?
Thanks to Irene S. Levine for the tip. When we discover the story behind the photograph we will update.
Update: It is real. It was placed by Velveeta, which explained in a press release, “The brand is all about encouraging people to be confident, unapologetically themselves, and constantly reminds us that you don’t have to live rich to be golden and lead a lavish, pleasure-filled life,” according to pix11.
LIQUID GOLD CUBE > SOLID GOLD CUBE. SERIOUSLY IT'S IN CENTRAL PARK GO CHECK IT OUT. https://t.co/AQqhqWuzPR pic.twitter.com/RmaxDtCpg7
— VELVEETA (@CheesyVelveeta) February 4, 2022
Genius. Local art thrives in NYC
One box was art, and the other, marketing. And I think we know which is which.
Actually, what we now call “art” is almost pure marketing, now that almost all art criticism is really just copywriting.
I think Andy Warhol would prefer the Velveeta.
Sourpusses!
But wait. There’s more. The next item will be an NFT.
Publicity stunt.
what a colossal waste of resources==theft guards, crowd control, etc
So, how much did Kraft Heintz donate to the Central Park Conservancy for the use of the space?