San Francisco Arts Commission Announces Installation of "Aurum" by Artist Duo HYBYCOZO in Mint Plaza

SAN FRANCISCO, October 23, 2024 – The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is thrilled to announce the completed installation of Aurum, a geometric stainless steel light sculpture created by artist duo Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu of HYBYCOZO, that reflects gold’s journey through the universe and its important role in the cultural development of San Francisco. 

The illuminated sculpture, sited in Mint Plaza along Jessie Street between Fifth and Mint streets, is comprised of laser-cut, powder-coated stainless-steel sheets and LED’s, welded into 12 “cones”. The sculpture celebrates the intersection of art, science, and history by tracing gold's formation from the beginning of the universe to its role in shaping the city’s Gold Rush era.  

Aurum, named after the Latin word for gold, takes the form of a stellated dodecahedron, a unique star-like structure composed of intricate geometric patterns that tessellate across its surface. Its placement in Mint Plaza is intended to create an inspiring and contemplative gathering place for the public, encouraging reflection on everything from the city’s history and its connection to gold, to the broader mysteries of the universe. 

"While all that glitters may not always be gold, the Arts Commission is thrilled to install Aurum by HYBYCOZO in Mint Plaza to highlight the importance, historical significance, and connection that gold has to San Francisco," said Ralph Remington, Director of Cultural Affairs. “Aurum helps create a public space that is open to all and invites those that pass by to pause, reflect, and experience Mint Plaza in a new and welcoming way, day and night." 

Aurum’s dimensions are approximately 140" x 162” and weighs nearly 2,000 pounds. 

The sculpture will be accessible 24 hours a day. By day, its matte flaxen gold powder-coating will shimmer in the sunlight, while at night, internal LED lighting will project shadows and reflections across the ground, transforming Mint Plaza into a dynamic space, illuminating the plaza in warm white light throughout the night. 

(Aurum illuminated in Mint Plaza at night. Image Courtesy of HYBYCOZO)

In early 2018, SFAC staff reviewed a pre-qualified list to identify a short list of qualified artists to be considered for the Mint Plaza Public Art Project opportunity. The list of qualified artists was presented to the Mint Plaza Project Selection Panel consisting of a representative of the Friends of Mint Plaza, two arts professionals, an Arts Commissioner, the project architect, and a Mint Plaza resident.  

Five artists were chosen as finalists by a Public Art Selection Panel and invited to develop conceptual site-specific proposals for consideration. HYBCOZO was selected in October 2018. 

This public artwork was made possible through the City’s Art Enrichment Ordinance, which requires certain private development projects to provide public artwork on the private property or privately owned public open space (POPOS) that is equal to 1 percent of the overall project costs.  

The project sponsor for Aurum in Mint Plaza is Martin Building Company.  

The total project budget for the Mint Plaza Public Art Project was approximately $250,000, paid for by the Martin Building Company to the Public Art Trust, which is managed by the Arts Commission, and fulfills Planning’s 1 percent for art requirement. $168,500 of the overall budget was allocated for the design, engineering, fabrication, transportation and installation of the three-dimensional exterior artwork.  

Friends of Mint Plaza will conduct routine cleaning of the sculpture.  

Aurum and San Francisco’s Golden History 
The installation of Aurum also brings new meaning and connection to the nearby historic SF Mint, once home to one-third of the nation's gold reserves and celebrates the role of San Francisco in the Gold Rush. The sculpture connects the area to the broader history of elemental creation, playing a major part in San Francisco’s rise as a global city was shaped in part by the gold discovered in California's foothills, mined and transported through the city's bustling ports.

The artists pondered the question of how gold got here in the first place. The gold within the Earth is thought to have formed billions of years ago. Through a process called nucleosynthesis, heavy elements like gold are created by the fusion of lighter elements in the cores of massive stars.  

In 2017, scientists with the LIGO experiment detected gravitational waves, confirming that such stellar collisions generate the intense energy needed to produce heavy elements like gold. This discovery provided the first concrete evidence of cosmic alchemy—an event that echoes across time and space, eventually bringing gold to Earth and into our history. 

Finished in a matte gold, the sculpture complements the stone palette of the surrounding plaza and transitions beautifully from day to night, casting intricate shadows as it glows softly in the evening. Its durable powder coating and UV-protective, graffiti-resistant finish will ensure that Aurum remains a striking and lasting fixture at Mint Plaza for years to come. 

“The use of gold has coincided with the development of civilization, art, and science and it is prized both for its utilitarian qualities and aesthetic beauty,” shared artist duo Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu of HYBYCOZO in a statement. "It is our hope that Aurum shines a new light on Mint Plaza and helps brings together those that live near by or are just passing through and invite them to enter this space and learn about San Francsico’s history and connection with gold, sparking curiosity to learn more about its origins, and its impact on our world today.” 

### 

About the Artist
HYBYCOZO is the collaborative studio of artists Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk. Based in Los Angeles, their work consists of larger than life geometric sculptures, often with pattern and texture that draw on inspirations from mathematics, science, and natural phenomena. Typically illuminated, their work celebrates the inherent beauty of form and pattern and represents their ongoing journey in exploring the myriad dimensions of geometry. HYBYCOZO is short for the Hyperspace Bypass Construction Zone, a nod to their favorite novel (The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) and was the title of their first installation in 2014. They continue to create under this name. Visit hybycozo.com

About the San Francisco Arts Commission  
The San Francisco Arts Commission is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy. Our programs include: Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Community Investments, Public Art, SFAC Galleries, and Art Vendor Licensing. To learn more, visit sfartscommission.org.