Artist Hides $16K in Gold Bars on Beach

And it's finders, keepers in Folkestone, England
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 28, 2014 3:50 PM CDT
Artist Hides $16K in Gold Bars on Beach
   (Shutterstock)

It's the kind of art project that even people who hate art projects can love: A German artist has hidden about $16,000 worth of gold bars on a beach in Folkestone, England, reports the Guardian. Lucky treasure hunters can keep any they find. Artist Michael Sailstorfer calls the project Folkestone Digs, and the curator of the Folkestone Triennial art festival, of which the project is a part, says he's interested in seeing what people do with the gold. "Do you take it to the pawnbrokers or do you take it to Sotheby's?" he asks. "Or do you keep it on the mantlepiece because you think it is going to be worth more later?"

It's likely too late for any curious Americans to take up the hunt. The art project was unveiled Thursday, and about 150 people began digging for the 30 gold bars when the tide went out, reports the BBC. It's not clear how many have been found, however, because participants don't need to report in. "We will never know if the gold has been found or not," says the curator. He adds that organizers are hoping diggers will create art—in the form of sandcastles—while searching. "It is a participatory artwork," he says. "Some people will get lucky, some people will not get lucky—and that's life." (Americans who want to search for hidden treasure should check this mysterious book out.)

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