A new star-shaped gold-painted sculpture has been installed in Mint Plaza, casting enchanting shadows from the lights inside at night.
The beleaguered Mint Plaza may be getting a helping hand these days. With that in mind, the SF Arts Commission approved a new public art piece for the plaza last year.
“This artwork aims to activate the plaza in the evening and make the space more accessible at night,” the commission said in its project proposal.
After receiving applications from multiple artists in 2018, the proposal by artist duo Hybycozo was selected. Many of the duo’s works are reminiscent of the perforated metal lamps of the Middle East and Morocco, usually illuminated, and this work, titled “Aurum,” is no exception.
The piece’s “exploding” three-dimensional star shape and gold coating refer to the site’s history, including the Old Mint (as it is often called), which was an important link in the San Francisco Gold Rush.
“Six billion years ago, the explosion of a superheavy star released gold into the primordial ooze,” artist and co-creator Elena Filipchuk told the Chronicle. It would ultimately change the course of California’s history. ”
“Light and shadow spill out of the sculpture, reminding the viewer that there is light within each of us,” she added of the illuminated exterior at night.
Filipchuk’s Hibikozo work, created with co-artist Serge Beaulieu, has appeared on Burning Man’s playa multiple times, including the 2022 work “Point of View,” shown above. This work uses embroidery patterns from Ukrainian folk traditions.
The duo also has permanent pieces on display outside the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas and the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, and their oak tree-inspired piece (below) is located near Lake Merritt. at 26th Street and Valdez in Oakland.
Hybycozo was previously based in San Francisco and is now based in Venice Beach, California.
The Mint Plaza piece is valued at $250,000 and is paid for as part of the 1% Art Program.
