2,000-pound, $250,000 sculpture planned for SF’s Mint Plaza

The structure is expected to measure roughly 12 by 13 feet, weigh approximately 2,000 pounds, and cost the city $250,000 in total, including $25,000 budgeted for conservation and $50,000 for project management.

The sculpture, called “Aurum,” was designed by HYBYCOZO, a two-person art studio that produces “larger than life geometric sculptures,” according to its website. The studio has permanent installations in Dubai, Las Vegas and Istanbul, and it currently has a tree-shaped sculpture installed at the corner of 26th and Valdez Streets in Oakland.

The project has been in the works since early 2018, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Arts Commission told SFGATE in an email. HYBYCOZO’s proposal was selected from a shortlist of five artists and recommended to the SFAC. The spokesperson wrote that the sculpture “will be a major focal point in the area that will help activate the plaza,” inviting passersby into the plaza. At nighttime, LED lights are designed to illuminate the sculpture from the inside, casting geometric shadow patterns on the ground outside.

Unhoused people often sit on the steps of the San Francisco Mint and in Mint Plaza, where they have occasionally set up tents. Asked whether this was a consideration in the planning process, the spokesperson wrote that planners consider “how all people will access and interact with the artwork placed in the public realm to ensure they are secure and accessible to all members of the public.”

In August, flyers popped up on street lamps surrounding the mint, publicizing an Aug. 30 public hearing. The hearing considered the SFAC’s encroachment permit request for the artwork. It was held over Zoom and lasted 13 minutes, with one public comment. 

According to the SFAC spokesperson, “Aurum” is slated for installation by mid-to-late 2024.