Monoliths in Utah, Romania, and Atascadero, Calif., as well as one discovered over the weekend in a Dutch nature preserve and one shown outside Joshua Tree National Park, have conspiracy theorists buzzing and everyone else scratching their heads. Now, two more to add into the mix. The first of the new installations showed up Sunday outside Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop in Pittsburgh, though there's no mystery behind that one: The shop admits it erected the monolith itself (as well as a replacement after the original got stolen) as a publicity stunt, per USA Today. The second monolith, a "reflective" 8-foot structure, has popped up on Compton Beach on the Isle of Wight in England, which Insider notes has prompted eye-rolling from locals. "It's someone playing a practical joke," one tells Sky News. "I don't believe in any of these conspiracy theories."
An artists community known as The Most Famous Artist has (somewhat) taken credit for at least some of the monoliths, but it's sketchy. "I am not able to say much because of legalities of the original installation," founder Matty Mo told Mashable in a message. "I can say we are well known for stunts of this nature." The group also says it's selling monoliths for $45,000 a pop, which raises eyebrows. "Given the financial aspect here, the artists inserting themselves into the narrative of this stunt could just be a way to make money," Rachel Kraus writes for Mashable. In an Instagram post on Sunday, the group put up a text of its response to a New York Post reporter on the worldwide phenomenon, which didn't clear much up. "The monolith is out of my control at this point," the text reads. "Godspeed to all the aliens working hard around the globe to propagate the myth." (More monolith stories.)
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