Utah monolith

On November 18, 2020, wildlife officials with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources were in San Juan County, Utah, conducting a survey of bighorn sheep from a helicopter piloted by the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS). Hutchings described the moment to a local news channel: Hutchings said that the pillar appeared to be man made and had been "firmly planted in the ground". On November 20, the Utah DPS posted a photo of the pillar on Instagram. ==Location and dating==

s of bighorn sheep near Moab, Utah|alt=Carvings of sheep on a dark rock wall The pillar was installed by unknown individuals on public land in an area known as Lockhart Basin, which became part of Bears Ears National Monument shortly after its installation. The site has no public services such as parking, restrooms, or cell phone service. The exact location of the monolith was not disclosed by the Utah DPS to prevent people from endangering themselves while trying to find it. Maxar satellite images suggest that the monolith appeared between July 7, 2016, and October 21, 2016, and Google Earth satellite images show that surrounding scrub vegetation had been cleared. Within 48 hours of the Utah DPS announcement, members of the public had reached the site and uploaded photographs and videos of the monolith to social media. ==Description==

The metal structure was a triangular prism with three sides that stood approximately tall above the bedrock, with each of the sides being about wide. It appeared to be made of stainless steel or aluminum sheets thick, joined together with blind rivets. and one early visitor said that the metal produced a sound "like a cardboard box" when hit or knocked on. Dave Sparks of the reality television series Diesel Brothers went to the monolith and described it in a video he posted on Instagram: "They got a concrete saw and they cut it into the red rock there. You can see right here on the bottom where they had a couple of over cuts with the saws." Wendy Wischer of the University of Utah's School of Fine Art said: "One person alone could not have done it so there is a group of people who have some knowledge of it somewhere. Most artists want some recognition for what they are doing but this seems to include a level of humor and mystery as part of the intention." of a slab monolith, like the one that appears in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey Upon first discovering the pillar, the Utah DPS described it as a "monolith", Although the word monolith refers to a single great stone, the word has also become closely associated with the Monolith from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), to which the Utah monolith bears a general resemblance. == Attribution ==

Several art critics and online users compared the object to works by artist John McCracken (1934–2011), who lived in the Southwest, believed in the existence of extraterrestrial life, and expressed an interest in leaving behind a piece of artwork in the desert. The object resembled the metallic monoliths McCracken made and was described as "nearly identical" to McCracken's Fair (2011) by New York gallerist David Zwirner (who displays the work). Several online users suggested that the monolith was the work of Petecia Le Fawnhawk, who had installed sculptures in desert locations and lived in Utah, but she denied that it was her work. The Utah Film Commission said that to their knowledge the monolith was not part of any film production. The New York Times said its unknown origin "provides a pleasant sensation of uncertainty" and that it might "lose its aura and power if we knew who had created it". ==Reactions==

showing vehicles parked on shrubbery near the site|alt=Several cars and a large RV parked on a dirt road in a sandstone desert The monolith became the subject of international media attention following its discovery, Hundreds of people visited the remote site after its location was discovered. Local residents feared that a surge in foot traffic could damage local Native American sites and artifacts. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages the land, reported that tourists "left behind a mess of human waste, cars parked on vegetation and other debris" and warned that the site could not handle the sudden influx of visitors. The Utah Department of Heritage & Arts expressed concern that the monolith's installation could have damaged archeological artifacts in the region, writing in a statement on Facebook: "[W]hile the monolith has better craftsmanship than graffiti, this is still vandalism. It irreversibly altered the natural environment on public lands." ==Removal==

The monolith was removed on November 27, 2020, by professional athlete Andy Lewis, his friends Sylvan Christensen and Homer Manson, and an anonymous fourth companion. Their identities were initially unknown, although several witnesses posted details and pictures online about the monolith's dismantling. One witness, photographer Ross Bernards, said that the group arrived at about 8:40 pm and immediately started pushing at the monolith while onlookers watched. After the monolith fell, members of the group said "this is why you don't leave trash in the desert" and "leave no trace" before breaking the structure apart and carrying the pieces away in a wheelbarrow. The triangular top piece of the monolith was left behind and later disappeared. and said that it would leave any further investigation to the local sheriff's office. On November 29, the local San Juan County Sheriff's Office said they could not devote the resources, although they did post a "Most Wanted" list with pictures of several aliens on their Facebook page. Chief deputy Alan Freestone told The New York Times: "I know they have some leads, and that's all we are saying right now." On December 1, Lewis uploaded a video on YouTube claiming responsibility for its removal. Christensen reposted the same video to TikTok and Instagram later that day, claiming that the group was motivated to remove the structure after seeing the environmental damage to the area from visitors and tourists. The group later claimed that they heard rumors online that people were planning to destroy it, so they removed it before anyone could. The group received hateful comments and threats as a result of their actions. Weeks later, Lewis posted a video on Instagram showing the monolith reassembled in his backyard. Lewis gave the structure to the BLM on December 18, and hoped that once the investigation was over a new home could be found for it. ==Similar monoliths==

|alt=A tall metal pillar outside of a German corporate building Shortly after the discovery of the monolith in Utah, other structures which resembled it began appearing at various locations across the world, including elsewhere in North America and in various countries in Europe and Australia. CNN called it the "viral art moment" of the year, and Vox compared the monoliths to a "living meme". Other monoliths were created and installed by small businesses for promotional purposes. , at least 245 similar structures had appeared across the world. == See also ==